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Review: Sheffield metalheads Black Spiders deliver a riveting debut with Can't Die, Won't Die, squarely laying down the un-f*ck-withable ethic that is 'all killer, no filler'. Known for their hooking slogans such as "eat thunder, shit lightning!" and now "alright, alright, alright", the Yorkshire rippers take after Matthew McConaughey across twelve sonic napalm-drops, burning brightly for a second time after a surprise reunion following a breakup before the pandemic. Upping the usual pace of blues rock to breakneck, rubber-biting tempi, tracks such as 'Driving My Rooster' and 'Destroyer' elicit Red Wally recollections of Motorhead, with a surfeit of restless energy and unmoved movement, as they aim to reclaim the unriddled joy of bird-flipping the audience.

Review: Two towering labels, Alternative Tentacles and Crispin Glover, break the mould for a momentary merger on this artistic collision of rogue planets: a new split reissued 7" housing that infamous syncretic, Patrick Fitzgerald, Motorpsycho and Jello Biafra, and their twin versions of Fitzgerald's original song 'Punch'. Fitzgerald is best known as a pioneer of folk punk, famously channelling his sardonic wit into a fleeting, light but somehow also epical sound. 'Punch' first surfaced in 2009 as a one-off single released under Crispin Glover's remit; it's now heard once more in both versions, tracking incendiary denunciations of politics on Fitzgerald's part, amid a suicidal, guitar-driven ascension into the air.

Review: Mumford & Sons drop a surprise single release alongside Pharrell Williams, 'Good People', delivering on a long-awaited promise to hop in the studio together after years of knowing each other. Finally falling back on their immediate instincts, 'Good People' hears the band and the solo wunderkind sing of tiredness and revelation, making adept use of a dry, driving, sportsmanlike instrumental palette (think hand claps, stomps, gospel harmonies). Though cryptic in theme, the mood on this one-off is one of triumph and impending miracle works to come.

Review: Recorded in 2022 for the BBC's Gideon Coe show, 'Christmas In Atlantis' is the Portland, Oregon band's first Christmas track; released just in time to battle it out for a Christmas Number 1. Ahead of their fourth LP, for which they will be touring in 2024, the song comes to us as a heart-rending slow funk number, with the sultry, up-close, and breathy vocals of Amy Boone retelling a complex tale of sorrow, conspiracy, casinos, and a restored faith in the Christmas spirit, in spite of it all. The single features two other exclusive tracks that will also not feature on the next album.

Review: Long-faced Boston blues trio GA-20 deliver a swampy, bluesy take on Dolly Parton's classic, 'Jolene'. While the original Parton number's lyrics dealt in the instantly-memorable theme of a queen bee stealing the singer's beloved - "just because you can" - the original song could nonetheless be accused of obscuring the melancholic feel of the lyrics, by lending them an uptempo dance backing. GA-20 might be credited with fixing that problem here, stripping things back to a lilting blues plod, convincingly reworked into a vintage, boxy, sepia-toned context.

Review: .There's plenty to talk about with The Who's historic show at Fete De L'Humanite, a huge open-air event hosted by L'Humanite, the main newspaper of the French Communist Party. For starters, on the day - Saturday 9th September, 1972 - an estimated 400,000 people were in attendance, a crowd size that dwarves pretty much anything we can think of today, and remains the band's largest ever gig. Taking to the stage as evening set in, they set to with a typically ferocious set, and four of the most standout pieces for the show are immortalised here on record. Unsurprisingly, that timeless anthem of misspent youth, love, rebellion, and hope for change, 'Baba O'Riley', is a dominant factor, although epic finale 'Relay' is perhaps where the might of their rock 'n' roll juggernaut is most felt here.

Review: Confounding critics (and, to a lesser extent, fans) has long been one of Dexy's calling cards, though even by Kevin Rowland and company's standards The Feminine Divine is a surprising set. The surprise lies not in the fact that it exists at all (Rowland publicly exclaimed that he was "done with music" back in 2016), but the sound of the music on show. Alongside the kind of horn-heavy 1970s soul that delighted fans in their early 80s heyday, The Feminine Divine also includes Serge Gainsbourg-esque spoken word vocals, Prince-inspired electrofunk, slow-motion breakbeats, hands-in-the-air house pianos and nods towards the kaleidoscopic, saucer-eyed rush of Ibiza-inspired Balearica. It's hugely entertaining and, for all the welcome musical surprises, still very much a Dexys album.

Review: Given their roots as an all-female band helmed by two sisters, it's not surprising that Northumbrian folk stars the Unthanks have used their platform to deliver numerous albums inspired by, or made in tribute to, creative women. Perhaps the most famous of these is 2017's 'Diversions Volume 4: The Songs and Poems of Molly Drake', which first hit stores in 2017. Now reissued, the album sees them deliver interpretations of poems and songs written by Nick Drake's mother, Molly, whose incredible work only came to light following her death in 1993. It's an inspired and evocative collection all told, with sweet renditions of Drake's songs - laid to tape in typical Unthanks fashion, with the Unthank sisters' harmony vocals accompanied by evocative folk instrumentation - accompanied by acapella readings of some of her thoughtful and emotive poems.

Review: Iggy Pop's new album Every Loser is his own treatise on punk necessarily requiring a "sense of hopelessness about it". Produced with musician and label owner Andrew Watt, Pop insists that this is "music that will beat the shit out of you". Relentlessly energetic and guitar-smashy, yet also somewhat clean, this is Iggy Pop's personal brand of rock n' roll for a new generation of listeners. Low-end centric and tempered by electronic production, it is full - as ever - of righteous anger.

Review: Well, the festive season is encroaching and so here comes a chance to nab another one of those perennial hits that sets the perfect jovial mood for one and all. Slade's 'Merry Xmas Everybody' might just be the definitive, ubiquitous Christmas anthem, and if you're partial to a bit of wax-based entertainment around yuletide, you can't say fairer than this singalong classic. Pressed up on a fetching marbled 12" with some other favourites for all the family such as 'Okey Cokey', this is your seasonal party soundtrack sorted.

Review: Former Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe formed Demolition 23 in New York in 1993, and their sole album should be considered essential listening for any lover of that ramped up glam-punk sound. 'Nothin's Alright' was an absolute earworm of a lead single from the album, but throughout there's stomping, singalong anthems to get your strut on to. As well as the full original album, this reissue on Wicked Cool also offers up a few demo takes so you can hear how some of these kick-ass jams took shape. One for all Hanoi faithful and lovers of good ol' rock n' roll alike.

Review: "Planes, Trains And Eric" follows Eric Clapton on the Far and Middle East leg of his 2014 world tour. In addition to live footage of the tour, the film features interviews with Eric Clapton and his band members, footage of rehearsals and soundchecks, travel on trains and planes. Through its beautiful impressions and impressions of life on tour, this film makes you feel as if you were part of it yourself.

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Review: Tamara Lindeman was at a real transition point in life when What Am I Going to do With Everything I Know was first unveiled. A six track strong EP, here the moodiness and tangible sense of isolation, loneliness, and hopelessness that had once emanated from her voice dissipates into equally tender and gentile thoughts on an impending marriage and all that may come with it. For some, an equally troubling time in their lives, for others something to truly work towards and - when it finally arrives - celebrate, either way it's a subject ripe for emotional songwriting.

But in actual fact, Lindeman, her fiance and troupe treat the concept of matrimony with something close to apathy, or at least lackadaisical 'might as well'-ness. The culmination of this record, 'Almost Careless', sees her ask the question 'what if', but in a way that's neither excited nor nervous, but simply filled with inquisitiveness and a matter of fact consideration.

Review: Back in 2005, Depeche Mode recorded a special live set for broadcast on US radio that - much to most people's surprise at the time - featured fewer synthesizer sounds. Instead, it saw the Essex outfit reproduce many of their classics hits and fan favourites using traditional rock instrumentation (think electric guitars, drums, bass guitar and electric piano), with the addition of more electronics as the set progressed. Now finally released on CD, the set is genuinely excellent, despite the pared-down, altered musical set-up. Highlights include fine renditions of 'Personal Jesus', 'Behind The Wheel' (which here sounds like a post-punk disco throwdown) , 'Enjoy The Silence' and - after a partial take ruined by sound problems - 'I Feel You'.

Review: He might be a wise old rock and roll figurehead now just as well known for being a famous friend of former Present Barrack Obama (if you haven't already, check out the pair's podcast, it is well worth hearing) but the age-defying voice behind enduring anthem 'Born in the USA' still knows how to have a little fun. And it comes in the form of this special bit of white festive wax (a picture disc version is also available on Juno) featuring his take on two Christmas classics. 'Santa Claus Is Coming To Town' and 'Because The Night' both get gravelly, epic makeovers that will warm your heart on a cold winter's eve.

Review: The deep archives of disco legend and synth wizard Patrick Cowley continue to prove inspirational for Dark Entries. Cowley, who passed away from AIDS-related illness in 1982, was the multi-faceted producer behind numerous disco anthems such as Sylvester's "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)". Since 2009, Dark Entries has been working with Cowley's friends and family to shed light on the lesser known facets of this singular artist's output. This has resulted in a string of celebrated archival albums, including Catholic (featuring Jorge Socarras), School Daze, Muscle Up, Afternooners, Mechanical Fantasy Box, and Some Funkettes.For the latest addition to this saga, White Trash Boom-Boom, Dark Entries has teamed up with The Stud to release four tracks culled from some of Cowley's earliest rehearsal tapes. In 1972 Patrick was living in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood with Theresa McGinley and Janice Sukaitis, friends of his from New York. In 1973, Theresa and Janice formed White Trash Boom-Boom, an all-female avant-garde performance troupe. Reacting to the Angels of Light and the Cockettes, they captured the spirit of the times: camp, confrontational, and delirious.

Review: Dutch band Golden Earring scored a huge hit in 1982 with 'Twilight Zone.' It's inspired by The Bourne Identity book and spent over six months in the US Pop Charts and was the band's only No. 1 hit in America when it hit the top spot on the Billboard Top Album Tracks chart. The band's guitarist George Kooymans wrote the tune and shares vocal responsibilities with Barry Hay. It's as big as pop rock gets with its soaring chords and big drums, and on the flip is 'When The Lady Smiles' which is another classic 80s anthem.

Review: It was probably easy to come up with a catchier title for this collection of treasured recordings from one of the 20th Century's greatest lost talents. But like everything Buckley and music, ease isn't really part of the story, that is unless you're referencing the pure bliss of listening to this legend's voice, which is as easy on the ear as you could ask for.

Comprising tracks that were originally captured for broadcast, they reveal the very essence of what Buckley was about. Heartfelt, open-veined songs that grasp the human condition in astute swoops, by this point in his career the folk and Americana signatures had merged with jazz and abstract elements, presenting an image of a restless artist determined to keep exploring. It's been said before, but we will reiterate; had it not been for the tragic overdose a year after the OGWT recording featured here, we can only imagine where his oeuvre would have ended up.

Review: It's been a solid five years since the epic sounds of America's best plugged-in rock duo last electrified our ears. And be it a reference to the Rolling Stones or even Scorsese, the album turns it up from the start with "Shine A Little Light". Big time rhodes and bluesy folk mentalities are then wrapped up in a low-slung ballad that is "Walk Across The Water". Some fans may still be yearning for the raw energy that catapulted the duo into the limelight with Magic Potion, however high voltage sounds can still be found on tracks like "Under The Gun" and "Lo/Hi" - with gospel elements in this case edging to the fore. Overall there's a slight dance element protruding from this LP in comparison to previous records, begging the question: Can you dig it!

Review: There was naturally much excitement when A Moon Shaped Pool, Radiohead's surprise ninth studio set, popped up on streaming and download services back in May. Here it gets a CD release, offering those who prefer physical products a chance to bathe in its' woozy eccentricities. Seen by some as a return to their arty rock roots following an extended period spend exploring electronics, the album's 11 tracks draw on a variety of influences (krautrock, ambient, Pavement, James Blake, Stockhausen, intense melancholia etc.), with predictably impressive results. Occasionally elegant, string-laden and grandiose, always beautiful, and sometimes intensely moving, A Moon Shaped Pool is undeniably up there with the band's best work.

Review: For all her otherworldly talents, even hardcore fans of Joanna Newsom will likely be relieved to hear that 'Divers' marks a very slight move back from the artistic brink compared to 2010's 'Have One On Me', an exhausting triple-album embarrassment of riches which few ever made it though in one go. Yet there's no hint of compromise on the deliriously thrilling 'Divers', despite its slightly more concise approach - the elegant yet baroque wordplay, ornate and innovative arrangements and Newsom's unique voice are all present and correct - yet more, these emotive and engaging ditties may mark the most accessible thing this iconoclastic and mercurial artist has thus far summoned from the ether.

Review: "In Rainbows", Radiohead's seventh album, finally gets a physical release! It's one thing downloading this landmark album, but to actually hold this is something special. Not only do you get increased sound quality, but you also get the amazing artwork from Stanley Donwood. This album includes "Nude", a live favourite for many years that was originally written during the "OK Computer" sessions. More minimal that their "Kid A" period, "In Rainbows" does something that very few albums have done - its sound is distinct from previous Radiohead albums, but is still clearly Radiohead. Hail to the kings, they are back on top form.