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The Guardian

Guardian, The

The Guardian is a British national daily newspaper, founded in 1821, and owned, with The Observer, a Sunday weekly newspaper, by The Guardian Media Group.

2,882 articles

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Bring Back the Single

Comment by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 22 October 1968

A STORY of virtue rewarded: Polydor, tiny in Britain compared with EMI or Decca, sold more LPs in the third quarter of 1968 than any ...

Jimi Hendrix: Electric Ladyland (Polydor)

Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 5 November 1968

THERE ARE 19 naked ladies on the cover 
of Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland (Polydor 613 008/9). Pictured 
inside, Jimi has a flicker of the lip-licking ...

Johnny Cash: Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison (CBS 63308)

Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 12 November 1968

2018 note: The quality and impact of Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison is not because of the songs. It is because of the behaviour and ...

The Beatles: Back with the real Beatles: The Beatles (White Album) (Apple)

Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 19 November 1968

The Beatles' new album is about to be released. This is the first of two articles on what is likely to be the biggest event ...

The Beatles: Back to Spring: The Beatles: The Beatles (White Album) (Apple)

Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 26 November 1968

"EARTH, WATER, fire, and air met together in a garden fair," chants Robin Williamson, of the Incredible String Band, in 'Koeeoaadi There'. And if the ...

True Sound of Rock

Essay by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 3 December 1968

2019: Thoughts after half a century. The piece below written as rock as a genre and a concept was emerging stands up quite well. As ...

The Rolling Stones: Beggars' Banquet (Decca SKL 4955)

Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 10 December 1968

The Stones' carrier wave ...

The Band, Buffalo Springfield, Country Joe & The Fish, The Doors, Aretha Franklin, MC5, Moby Grape, Nico, Otis Redding, Steppenwolf, Velvet Underground, Frank Zappa: 1968: The Shaken City Walls

Overview by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 24 December 1968

"AN ELECTRIC caterwauling of power... burning it, flashing it, whirling it down some arc of consciousness, the sound screaming up to a climax of vibrations ...

Harpers Bizarre: Anything Goes (Pye, WS 1716)

Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 31 December 1968

HOWARD JOHNSON ice-cream parlours, Harvey's hamburgers, Busby Berkeley movies: artificial, sentimental, surface childlike fantasies. Small-town radio stations, high school proms, Frank Capra, George Gershwin, Mickey ...

Love: Four Patterns of Love

Essay by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 7 January 1969

Update, 2019. Forty years ago leading BBC tv Radio DJ Paul Gambaccini organised Critic's Choice: Top 200 Albums, in which 47 rock music writers including ...

The Everly Brothers: Roots (Warner WS 1752)

Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 21 January 1969

Pulled up by the roots ...

Nico, The Velvet Underground: Letter to a Mystified Man

Comment by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 28 January 1969

DEAR Mr Davey — You write a neat letter, and I smiled, too. Last week you wrote to the editor of the Guardian (January 20). "If you ...

The Crystals, The Righteous Brothers, The Ronettes, Phil Spector, Ike & Tina Turner, Muddy Waters: Muddy Waters: Electric Mud (Chess); Various Artists: Demand Performance (Decca)

Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 4 February 1969

Muddy Muddy Waters ...

Creedence Clearwater Revival, Steve Miller: Creedence Clearwater Revival: Bayou Country (Fantasy 8387); Steve Miller Band: Sailor (EMI ST 2984)

Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 11 February 1969

Transcending the Blues ...

The Beatles: Too Big For The Band?

Comment by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 25 February 1969

MARY HOPKIN, the film music for Yellow Submarine and Wonderwall, and the Two Virgins album, were all made by Beatles. But they have no other ...

Blood Sweat & Tears: Blood, Sweat and Tears: Blood, Sweat and Tears (CBS)

Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 4 March 1969

BOUND WITH BLOOD AND SWEAT ...

Family: The Original Family Way

Profile by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 18 March 1969

FAMILY IS the most original and ambitious of the British bands that have not fully emerged from' the club circuit. I first heard them a ...

The Rolling Stones: Rolling Stone Magazine: Ripples from the Stone

Report by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 25 March 1969

FEW REVIEWS can make a first-rank artist doubt his ability at the height of his success. At this level, critics can rarely do more than ...

Bob Dylan: Nashville Skyline (CBS)

Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 22 April 1969

Nashville Skyline man to tell the time by ...

Janis Joplin: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 29 April 1969

CRYING FOR US ...

Country Joe & The Fish, Dr. John, Flying Burrito Brothers, The Fugs: Rocking into religion

Essay by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 27 May 1969

Gods, bishops, priests and worshippers ...

The Mothers Of Invention, Frank Zappa: Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 12 June 1969

Update, 2019. FRANK ZAPPA was always friendly when he and I met, between 1968 and 1970. This may have been because I took him seriously, ...

Steve Miller Band: Brave New World (Capitol)

Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 17 June 1969

Update, 2019. THE ARE three omissions and one serious mistake in the piece below on the Steve Miller Band's Sailor (October 1968) and Brave New ...

Giorgio Gomelsky: The Pop Paragon

Report by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 22 June 1969

Author's note, 2018. Georgio died in New York in January 2014, aged 81. Everybody with even a passing interest knows that Georgio, whose dark bearded ...

Joni Mitchell: Clouds

Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 24 June 1969

JONI MITCHELL has written songs for Tom Rush, and the Fairport Convention have used her songs on both their albums. ...

Fairport Convention, The Incredible String Band: Joe Boyd: Freaky Galahad

Profile by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 29 July 1969

"WELL, YOU'D put your arm round its neck, y'know, like this" (demonstrating) "and hold it on the seat next to you, like another person." ...

The Kinks, Barbara Lewis, The Who: Styles of the City

Comment by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 19 August 1969

GEOFFREY CANNON ON POP MUSIC ...

The Band, Bob Dylan: Bob Dylan, The Band: Isle of Wight Festival

Live Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 2 September 1969

The gospel according to Dylan ...

Blind Faith, Johnny Cash, Country Joe & The Fish, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Crosby Stills and Nash, The Doors: New albums from the Doors, Country Joe, Johnny Cash, Creedence, CS&N and Blind Faith

Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 16 September 1969

Finding a new faith: GEOFFREY CANNON reviews pop music ...

The Kinks: Arthur

Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 3 October 1969

Arthur and the Empire ...

The Beatles: Abbey Road (Apple)

Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 8 October 1969

Abbey Road backtrack ...

The Rolling Stones: Jumping Jack Jagger

Comment by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 14 October 1969

THE WIDENING gap between the Beatles and the Rolling Stones has been labelled as the contrast between aesthetics and politics. The difference between the two ...

Cream, Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall: Union Jack Blues

Comment by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 21 October 1969

MEETING JANIS Joplin a few months ago, before her Albert Hall concert, I was staggered to feel how nervous she was. Then she explained. She ...

Davey Graham, Quintessence: Island in Basing Street

Report by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 26 November 1969

Update, 2019. In the piece below I mention that Basing Street, where Island Records was established in 1969 in what had been an abandoned chapel, ...

Eric Clapton, Delaney & Bonnie: Delaney & Bonnie: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 3 December 1969

Update, 2019. IN THEIR short time between 1969 and 1972, Delaney and Bonnie were glorious, for their quality, knowledge, and expressed love and joy of ...

Crosby Stills Nash & Young: Are We in Tune? No

Essay by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 10 January 1970

Author's note, 2018: The review below was cut by the Guardian. What's here is uncut. Who plays Crosby Stills Nash (and Young) albums now or, ...

Led Zeppelin: Lead Balloon

Comment by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 13 January 1970

Update, 2019. SOME FACTS from Wikipedia, practically half century after my negative review below."Led Zeppelin are one of the best-selling music artists in the history of audio ...

Brinsley Schwarz, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Van Morrison: Van Morrison, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Brinsley Schwartz: Fillmore East, New York NY

Live Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 10 April 1970

I WAS ON that New York trip last weekend, too. My brief was to listen to the music. I have to report that as soon ...

Creedence Clearwater Revival, Quintessence: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 17 April 1970

2019 Update: I was crazy for Creedence. For The Guardian I reviewed Bayou Country in February 1969, saying "I rate John Fogarty as high for ...

The Flock, It's a Beautiful Day, Quintessence, Johnny Winter: Sounds of the '70s at Montreux

Report by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 1 May 1970

UP THE ROAD from where I'm sitting now, senior television executives from ail over Europe, and from America and Japan, have been descending into a ...

Grateful Dead: The Grateful Dead: Hollywood Festival, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire

Live Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 29 May 1970

Disgracing The Grateful Dead ...

Joan Baez, Canned Heat, Country Joe & The Fish, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Arlo Guthrie, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, John Sebastian, Sha Na Na, Sly & the Family Stone, Ten Years After: Various artists: Woodstock (Atlantic: 2663 001)

Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 17 July 1970

Update, 2020. Woodstock. The name has many meanings. There's Woodstock the town where Bob Dylan and the Band lived once. But the main resonance is ...

The Isle of Wight Festival: Three Shades Of Wight

Overview by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 5 September 1970

APART FROM the music, what went on at the Isle of Wight last weekend? Here are the most popular theories. ...

Jimi Hendrix: Electric Rebel – An Appreciation

Obituary by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 19 September 1970

"THANKS FOR being so patient. Next time we will really try and get it together." Spoken two hours before a cold Sunday dawn, three weeks ...

Janis Joplin: An Appreciation by Geoffrey Cannon

Memoir by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 6 October 1970

AN EVENING at the Royal Garden Hotel in April, 18 months ago. I was meeting Janis Joplin. I fished around for a while, trying to ...

The Band: Listening to The Band

Essay by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 10 October 1970

A NUMBER OF rock music bands have been celebrated, in the past three years, not just as "supergroups," but as bands composed of superlative musicians, ...

The Band: Supergroups: A Matter of Context

Essay by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 10 October 1970

A NUMBER OF ROCK music bands have been celebrated, in the past three years, not just as "supergroups" but as bands composed of superlative musicians. ...

Bob Dylan: New Morning (CBS KC 30290)

Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 23 October 1970

Update, 2019. EMERGING FROM Hibbing to New York's Village. His pilgrimage to Woody Guthrie. The protest songs sung like a crow that are now a national ...

Johnny Cash, Eddie Cochran, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, Charlie Rich: Sun Records: The Ooby Dooby

Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 30 October 1970

"'SINFUL MUSIC,' the townsfolk in Memphis said it was. Which never bothered me, I guess." Elvis Presley, interviewed in 1957. In the early 1950s, the ...

The Byrds: Untitled (CBS 66253); Preflyte (Together Records ST-T-1001)

Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 13 November 1970

FEW MUSICIANS have mastered the 16-track recording machine. The abstract discipline it imposes on anyone faced with reducing all its available tracks to two, too ...

The Beatles, George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr: Ringo Stars: Geoffrey Cannon on the Beatles' Solo Albums

Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 19 December 1970

Ringo Starr: Beaucoups of Blues; Paul McCartney: McCartney; John Lennon: John Lennon Plastic Ono Band; George Harrison: All Things Must Pass ...

The Velvet Underground

Overview by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 8 January 1971

Update, 2020: Judging by what I play most as I work at home, the Velvet Underground and also Lou Reed are tops, together with Them ...

Little Richard: Electric Circus, New York NY

Live Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 21 January 1971

ST MARK'S PLACE, the high street of New York's East Village, hums with memories these days. Among them, at the new year, was little Richard, ...

John Cale, The Velvet Underground: John Cale: Welsh Underground

Profile and Interview by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 12 April 1971

Author's note, 2018. The Velvet Underground and Nico and to a lesser extent White Light/White Heat are the albums that above all others up to ...

The Rolling Stones: Sticky Fingers (COC 5910O)

Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 23 April 1971

Sticky fingers gather no moss ...

Carole King, Little Richard, Paul McCartney: Albums from Paul McCartney, Little Richard and Carole King

Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 21 May 1971

THERE IS NO way to make great rock music from retirement. Paul McCartney may have been seduced — by reading that he's equalled Schubert — ...

Joni Mitchell, Graham Nash: Joni Mitchell: Blue/Graham Nash: Songs for Beginners

Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 29 June 1971

JONI MITCHELL'S new album, Blue, is about to be released here by Warner Brothers (K 44128). A large proportion of Joni's most notable songs, to date, ...

Nesuhi Ertegun: The World Is His Manor

Profile and Interview by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 19 October 1971

GEOFFREY CANNON talks to "the most powerful man in the record business outside America" ...

The Band, The Beach Boys, Van Morrison: Van Morrison: Tupelo Honey; The Band: Cahoots; The Beach Boys: Surf's Up

Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 29 October 1971

Out of the city ...

Arthur Brown, Alice Cooper, The Fugs, MC5, The Mothers Of Invention, The Stooges, Screaming Lord Sutch, Frank Zappa: Aesthetics of Outrage

Overview by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 26 November 1971

Update, 2020. "Perverted, outrageous, violent, repulsive, ugly, tasteless. A travesty. That's what's good about them". This was a quote about the Rolling Stones, recorded around ...

Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Leon Russell, Ravi Shankar: George Harrison & Friends: The Concert for Bangladesh (Apple)

Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 4 January 1972

Update, 2019: The first time I met George Harrison was in the late 1960s, when he was still a Beatle. I quite often went to ...

The Doors: "Out here on the perimeter there are no stars"

Essay by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 20 March 1972

Update, 2019. Yes, folks are still listening to the Doors. An extract from their album LA Woman, mentioned in the review of Jim Morrison's lyrics ...

The Beatles, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, The Supremes: Motown Making Millions

Profile by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 1 May 1972

Author's update, 2019. "The Manchester Guardian? That's the best fuckin' newspaper in the world!" So David Crosby told me in early 1969. He had answered ...

The Rolling Stones: Exile On Main Street (Rolling Stones Records, COC 2-900)

Review and Interview by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 20 May 1972

MICK JAGGER on record ...

Elvis Presley: Madison Square Garden, New York NY

Live Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 17 June 1972

Author's note, 2018: Yes, it started for me with Elvis, when in 1956 I heard a demo of his first RCA record 'Don't be cruel'/ ...

The Rolling Stones: Our Name is Called Disturbance — The Rolling Stones: Winterland, San Francisco CA

Live Review by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 28 June 1972

THE ROLLING STONES are on their first US tour since, the wild acclaim of their 1969 trip. In America, GEOFFREY CANNON describes the impact of ...

David Bowie: Starman

Profile by Geoffrey Cannon, The Guardian, 7 July 1972

Author's note, 2018. WHEN I interviewed Lou Reed in New York in June 1972  he implored me to listen to David Bowie, and especially to ...

The Sex Pistols: Sex Pistols: The Anarchic Rock of the Young and Doleful

Profile by Steve Turner, The Guardian, 3 December 1976

And then there was punk. Tonight the Sex Pistols, focal point of the newly dubbed punk generation, take off on their first concert tour of ...

Allman and Woman: Cher & Gregg Allman: Rainbow Theatre, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 26 November 1977

ON THE FACE of it, Cher and Gregg Allman are one of music's most unlikely couples; she a star of television spectacular and gossip column ...

Linda Lewis: Ronnie Scott's, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 3 December 1977

THE CAREER of Linda Lewis presents the classic case of an artist caught on the horns of a dilemma between commercial success and artistic worth. ...

Tom Robinson Band: The Tom Robinson Band: Lyceum, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 8 December 1977

IT WAS ONLY A matter of time before the new wave explosion brought forth a performer like Tom Robinson, articulate enough to put into coherent ...

Professor Longhair: Late Riser

Interview by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 22 March 1978

Mick Brown talks to a survivor ...

Alexis Korner: Korner in Blues

Interview by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 21 April 1978

IT IS WHOLLY fitting that the guest-list for Alexis Korner's 50th birthday party this week at Pinewood Studios should have read like a Who's Who ...

Dolly Parton: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 21 November 1978

THE FIXATION on Dolly Parton's buxom outrageousness has evidently become so acute that nowadays even Ms Parton feels obliged to use it as a butt ...

Tina Turner: The Willpower Way From Square One

Interview by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 14 March 1979

Tina Turner, now singing alone, is back in Britain. She talks to Mick Brown ...

John Fahey: The Venue, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 16 July 1979

WATCHING the American guitarist, John Fahey, one is reminded of the occasion when Ravi Shankar performed at the famous concert for Bangladesh. Taking to the ...

Lena Horne: One Way to Raise a Roof

Interview by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 21 July 1979

Mick Brown meets the new-fangled Lena Horne ...

The Pretenders: Lyceum, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 31 July 1979

LESS THAN a year after formation, the Pretenders are already shaping up as one of the most interesting new British bands. Led by Chrissie Hynde, ...

Ian Dury & the Blockheads: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 8 August 1979

ONE OF IAN Dury's most endearing mannerisms on stage is to extend the length of his microphone stand two feet above his head, accentuating his ...

Kevin Coyne, Dagmar Krause: Kevin Coyne: Babble, Oval House, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 24 August 1979

HAVING ALREADY seen Babble banned from one London theatre as the result of a sensationalist and grossly misrepresentative newspaper story, Kevin Coyne found it necessary ...

Jerry Lee Lewis: Killer's Gospel

Interview by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 16 February 1980

Jerry Lee Lewis closes his current British tour in London at the Rainbow tonight. Mick Brown reports ...

Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, Saxon: The Lustre of Heavy Metal

Report by Mary Harron, The Guardian, 19 July 1980

Mary Harron takes a trip to Sheffield and discovers a surprising rock revival. ...

Shirley Bassey: Apollo, Victoria, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 16 September 1980

TWO BOUTS of middle-aged hysteria within the space of seven days is surely almost more than the body can decently stand. Still shell-shocked from religious ...

Airto Moreira: the Venue, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 23 September 1980

THAT SOUTH American music should have been the source of vitality and inspiration in jazz that it has over the past decade is due in ...

Public Image Ltd: PiL: Rotten's Public Image is on the Mend

Interview by Mary Harron, The Guardian, 26 September 1980

A former Sex Pistol is trying to make it as plain John Lydon. Mary Harron reports ...

Led Zeppelin: Zeppelin Drummer Found Dead

Report by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 26 September 1980

JOHN BONHAM, the drummer with Led Zeppelin rock group, was found dead yesterday in bed at the house of the group's lead guitarist, Jimmy Page, ...

George Melly: The Venue, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 3 October 1980

ONE CAN think of few people other than George Melly who could spend the early part of an evening speaking eloquently on a television literary ...

Pat Benatar: Dominion, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 20 October 1980

AN EVENING with Pat Benatar is an instructive experience in the nature of the huge and seemingly unbridgeable gulf which now separates contemporary rock music ...

Robert Palmer: Dominion Theatre, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 10 November 1980

YORKSHIRE BORN Robert Palmer first achieved recognition partnering Elkie Brooks in the group Vinegar Joe in the early Seventies, but it took a move to ...

Aretha Franklin: Once More With Feeling

Profile and Interview by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 18 November 1980

Mick Brown on Aretha Franklin's return after years of soul searching ...

Talking Heads: Hammersmith Palais, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 3 December 1980

DESPITE HAVING sold barely enough records in Britain in the past to cover printing costs, and despite their live performances sometimes resembling a well-kept secret, ...

Rev. James Cleveland: Pastor Cleveland, Superstar

Report by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 24 December 1980

Well manicured and mohair-suited, America's most successful gospel performer leads an hour of electrifying Worship on ITV this Sunday. Mick Brown reports ...

Bert Jansch: The Venue, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 22 January 1981

WITH THE audience for folk music in a state of steady and seemingly irreversible decline, appearances by Bert Jansch seem to have become ever fewer ...

Bush Tetras, James Chance & the Contortions: Why the Big Apple Lacks Real Bite

Report by Mary Harron, The Guardian, 7 February 1981

London's rock scene is fizzing, but New York's has turned flat. Mary Harron reports ...

New Order: Heaven, London

Live Review by Mary Harron, The Guardian, 11 February 1981

FEW GROUPS have been faced with such a heavy burden of expectation as were New Order in their London debut. This is the group formed ...

Marvin Gaye: Star in the Remaking

Interview by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 21 February 1981

Marvin Gaye was Motown's blue-eyed boy of the '60s. Then, he fell dramatically. Mick Brown describes a soul man's self-searching. ...

Tom Waits: He's a Coppola Swell: Tom Waits

Interview by Mick Brown, The Guardian, March 1981

THE FIRST TIME Tom Waits visited London, in 1976, he earned the dubious distinction of being thrown out of the club were he had been ...

Jeff Beck: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 10 March 1981

OVER THE past few years Jeff Beck has given the impression of someone wilfully squandering a brilliant career. Having established himself as one of the ...

Central Line, Freeez, Linx, Light of the World: Funk for all the Family

Report by Mary Harron, The Guardian, 21 March 1981

Jazz-funk, an offshoot of American soul music, is sweeping away the tired sounds of disco. Mary Harron reports on an underground youth cult ...

Robert Fripp, The Lounge Lizards: Robert Fripp's Discipline, the Lounge Lizards: Her Majesty's Theatre, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 11 May 1981

THE PAIRING of the guitarist, Robert Fripp's newest venture Discipline with the New York group the Lounge Lizards — offered two examples of radical sensibilities ...

John Martyn: Making Tracks to the Top

Profile and Interview by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 23 May 1981

John Martyn, in concert in London tonight, has been a cult figure for far too long. Now he plans to change all that, as Mick ...

Stanley Clarke, George Duke: George Duke & Stanley Clarke: Apollo Victoria, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 26 May 1981

HAVING TAKEN root in the early Seventies, flourished brightly for a few years and then appeared to wither into a state of atrophy, jazz-rock did ...

Joe Ely: The Venue, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 1 June 1981

AMONG AN older generation alienated by the bleak and joyless fare offered up by so much of the British rock music that purports to be ...

Sam Charters: Chains that Gave Birth to the Blues

Profile and Interview by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 6 June 1981

Mick Brown reports how the musicologist Sam Charters learned to stop feeling guilty about slavery ...

Coati Mundi, Cristina, Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Was (Not Was): Michael Zilkha: The King of Mutant Disco

Profile and Interview by Mary Harron, The Guardian, 4 July 1981

Mary Harron meets the rich kid behind ZE Records' success. ...

Earth, Wind & Fire: Earth, Wind and Fire: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 11 March 1982

IN THE last 10 years, black music in America has moved steadily away from raw, personal expression towards a more sophisticated presentation which acknowledges show ...

Mickie Most: The Rock of Ages

Interview by Mary Harron, The Guardian, 26 March 1982

Mickie Most tells Mary Harron why in the world of pop the producer reigns supreme ...

Gil Scott-Heron: The Venue, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 10 April 1982

THERE CAN surely be few performances in London this year which for intelligence, authority, musical expertise, and sheer style can hope to equal this by ...

Richard and Linda Thompson: Dominion, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 7 May 1982

LOOSELY SPEAKING, Richard Thompson is the sole practising legatee of the British folk-rock tradition which he was instrumental in establishing 14 years ago as a ...

Willie Nelson: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 9 June 1982

IT IS TRUE what they say about things being bigger in Texas. You could wrap up a jumbo jet in the flag of the Lone ...

Sun Ra: The Venue, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 29 July 1982

FOR HERMAN Blount, life has never been the same since he decided to change his name. A former big-band piano player, Herman metamorphosed into Sun ...

Hot Chocolate: Monday Night Fever

Profile and Interview by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 31 July 1982

As Hot Chocolate ride high in the charts again, Mick Brown meets Errol Brown, Britain's most successful black song writer, the toast of Mickie Most's ...

Light of the World: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 2 August 1982

HAVING COME and gone among the first wave of black British funk bands when the genre was but a trickle, Light of the World have ...

The Undertones: Kilburn National, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 18 August 1982

FOLLOWERS OF the Undertones will be reassured to learn that after a 12-month leave of absence back in their native Ireland, one thing remains unchanged: ...

Dollar Brand/Abdullah Ibrahim: Dollar Brand: Albany, Deptford, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 3 September 1982

IT IS ONE of the most extraordinary aspects of the work of Abdullah Ibrahim, also known as Dollar Brand, that for a South African pianist ...

Blue Rondo a la Turk: Camden Palace, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 8 September 1982

THE CAREER of Blue Rondo a la Turk illustrates vividly the perils of too close an association with style. Maligned by critics for the cut ...

Kate Bush: Kate Takes Charge

Interview by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 11 September 1982

Mick Brown meets the singer with a new album out on Monday ...

William Burroughs: The Beat Guru Loaded For Bear

Interview by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 1 October 1982

Burroughs is in Britain for a series of readings. Mick Brown reports. ...

The Gun Club: The Venue, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 7 October 1982

WHILE THE new guard of British pop cultivate sophistication, artifice and detachment, the American avant garde continue to celebrate the more basic virtues of rawness ...

Kid Creole & the Coconuts: Lyceum, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 13 October 1982

IT SEEMS only fitting that when August Darnell, a.k.a. Kid Creole, finishes this British tour which celebrates his transition from exotic cult figure to top ...

Philip Glass: Sadler's Wells, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 26 October 1982

IT IS EASY to see why Phil Glass, long recognised as being in the vanguard of American avant-garde composers should have suddenly found himself lionised ...

The Roches: Dominion Theatre, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 9 November 1982

FIRST THE McGarrigles and now, a fortnight later, the Roches. How many more sets of slightly kooky sisters does the American folk circuit have for ...

ABC: Sophistication to the last letter

Profile and Interview by Mary Harron, The Guardian, 19 November 1982

Mary Harron describes the hit group ABC's recipe for success, reverting to a clean image. ...

Shalamar: Dominion, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 23 November 1982

SURPRISING AS it may seem, the hottest ticket in town at present is not for ABC, Yazoo or any other of the leading lights of ...

Marty Robbins: Country Dude of Nashville

Obituary by Mary Harron, The Guardian, 10 December 1982

Mary Harron on the style of Marty Robbins ...

Billy Bragg: Captain’s Cabin, London

Live Review by Mary Harron, The Guardian, 1983

PLACING a heavy burden on a small but genuine talent, Billy Bragg has been hailed as the next big thing. ...

Billy Fury: One of the First to Rock

Obituary by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 29 January 1983

Mick Brown pays tribute to the talents and the achievements of Billy Fury ...

The Thompson Twins: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 2 March 1983

WITH THEIR tribal drumming, anti-nuke benefits, funny clothes and shambolically exuberant performance, the Thompson Twins once personified a charming, if somewhat loopy strand of idealistic ...

Pigbag: Dominion, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 7 March 1983

PIGBAG surprised everybody, not least themselves, by climbing into the American charts and subsequently the British ones in 1981 with 'Papa's Got A Brand New ...

John Cale: The Venue, London

Live Review by Mary Harron, The Guardian, 19 March 1983

OVER THE past 20 years John Cale has gone from the Royal College of Music to Lamont Young's avant garde Theatre of Eternal Music to ...

Dolly Parton: Ask a Dirty Question, and you Don't Get Any Answers

Profile and Interview by Mary Harron, The Guardian, 29 March 1983

Dolly Parton smiles, and giggles, and parodies herself, but she's really not that kind of girl at all. Not any longer, reports Mary Harron. ...

Dolly Parton: Dominion Theatre, London

Live Review by Mary Harron, The Guardian, 29 March 1983

IN THE early stages we were treated rather like the captive audience at a television games show, as orders were issued for us to stand, ...

Dennis Bovell: Heaven, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 30 March 1983

FOR A MAN who is both producer, writer, performer and engineer, Dennis Bovell's career progresses at a frustrating and slow pace. As producer he seems ...

Joan Armatrading: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 9 April 1983

THERE IS about Joan Armatrading a quality of self-containment, resolution and a complete absence of any suggestion of faddishness, artifice or compromise which is enormously ...

Joni Mitchell: Happy Talkin' Joni

Interview by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 22 April 1983

IT WOULD BE an exaggeration to describe Larry Klein as a hated man; but, face it, there must have been times when he has felt ...

Joni Mitchell: Wembley Arena

Live Review by Mary Harron, The Guardian, 25 April 1983

WITH JONI Mitchell, the music and the life are inseparable. As a confessional songwriter the appeal is based on identification; with those of us who ...

Paco de Lucia, Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin: McLaughlin/Di Meola/De Lucia: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 20 June 1983

A COMBINATION of John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola and Paco De Lucia — three guitarists in the world heavyweight class — promises a multitude of ...

David Bowie: Milton Keynes Bowl, Buckinghamshire

Live Review by Mary Harron, The Guardian, 4 July 1983

THE BRITISH phase of the Serious Moonlight tour ended in a grassy amphitheatre where a crowd of 50,000 strained to see a little white figure ...

Nick Heyward: Dominion, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 5 July 1983

ONE ALMOST fears for today's teenagers when someone as apparently anodyne as Nick Heyward becomes a teen idol. Whatever happened to insurrection, rebellion, young lust, ...

James Blood Ulmer: Ace, Brixton, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 9 July 1983

A PROTÉGÉ of Ornette Coleman and disciple of Coleman's theory of harmolodics — a musical system of such devious complexity that possible only Coleman and ...

Defunkt: Albany Empire, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 15 July 1983

DEFUNKT ARE in the anomalous position of being an American band playing in a singularly American style who find themselves prophets without honour — or ...

Queen Ida: Dingwalls, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 28 July 1983

IDA GUILLORY is the nearest thing Louisiana has to offer to a housewife superstar. A 55-year-old grandmother, Queen Ida had spent almost her entire life ...

Wanted: a Rock Valhalla for the Golden Oldies

Comment by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 4 August 1983

Up and down the country sweet little sixteens have just about half a million signed autographs. In fact, all the best rock 'n' roll memorabilia ...

Michael (Mikey) Smith: Michael Smith: Jamaica Killing

Report by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 26 August 1983

MICHAEL SMITH, internationally acclaimed as Jamaica's foremost "dub" poet, was murdered last week, apparently a victim of Jamaica's turbulent and violent political climate. Smith, who ...

Fab 5 Freddy: Streetbeat, Albany Empire, London

Live Review by Mary Harron, The Guardian, 12 September 1983

ONCE DISMISSED as a novelty, rapping has proved its durability, and as soon as you think it has died another wave of influence appears. As ...

Gary Numan: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 18 October 1983

EVEN IF you are undecided about his music, you have to give Gary Numan credit for his nerve and the mysterious hold which his meagre ...

Atlantic Records

Essay by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 1984

Atlantic and other classic R&B issues are at last being reprinted — in Britain. Mick Brown reports ...

Eric Clapton: Live At Wembley

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 1984

ONE HAS ALWAYS suspected that Eric Clapton's worst enemy was his own reputation. Few people live with – much less live up to – the ...

The Neville Brothers: Live At The Shaw Theatre, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 1984

THE NEVILLE Brothers are an institution whose time would seem to have come. Four brothers from New Orleans, their contribution to Crescent City music over ...

Fats Domino, Ray Charles: Thorns In Velvet: Fats Domino and Ray Charles at the Capital Jazz Festival

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 1984

AMONG the collection of venerable antiques paraded for this year’s Capital Jazz Festival – couldn’t the organisers find anybody of note under the age of ...

Alexis Korner: Man of the Blues

Obituary by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 2 January 1984

THE DEATH of Alexis Korner at the age of 55 from cancer marks the closing of a chapter in British music. Korner's role as one ...

Millie Jackson: Dominion, London

Live Review by Mary Harron, The Guardian, 23 February 1984

MILLIE JACKSON has said publicly that she is bored with "talking trash," and with her image as soul's queen of sexual outrage. ...

Whitesnake: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Mary Harron, The Guardian, 5 March 1984

WHITESNAKE ARE known as the male chauvinists of British heavy metal, which is a dizzying thought. Lead singer David Coverdale's stardom is based on his ...

Marillion: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 13 March 1984

A NIGHT out for the lower sixth, dungeons and dragons players and the "progressive" rock fans time forgot. ...

Marvin Gaye: Heart and Soul

Obituary by Mick Brown, The Guardian, April 1984

MARVIN GAYE, who was so shockingly killed in Los Angeles on Sunday, one day before his 45th birthday, was not only a consummate soul music ...

Mary Wells: Albany, Deptford, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 31 May 1984

MARY WELLS made one mistake in her career almost 20 years ago and has been paying for it ever since. Wells was Motown's first international ...

Joan Baez: The Folk Heroine Mellows With Age

Interview by Mary Harron, The Guardian, 22 June 1984

IN 1959 JOAN BAEZ walked out on stage at the Newport Folk Festival and touched off a wave of adulation that was to reach almost ...

Bob Dylan: Wembley Stadium

Live Review by Mary Harron, The Guardian, July 1984

ALL SUMMER, Christians have been performing in football stadiums; first we had Luis Palau, then Billy Graham, and now Bob Dylan. But as it turned ...

Aswad, Jimmy Cliff: Jimmy Cliff, Aswad: Crystal Palace Bowl, London

Live Review by Mary Harron, The Guardian, 30 July 1984

THE ANNUAL Nelson Mandela festival was held in perfect sunlight in the secluded grassy amphitheatre at Crystal Palace. Unfortunately one reason why it was so ...

The Clark Sisters: Dominion Theatre, London

Live Review by Barney Hoskyns, The Guardian, 3 September 1984

GUIDING GOSPEL music into the Eighties has not been without its hazards for Detroit's Five Clark Sisters. When last year their gorgeous 'You Brought The ...

Sisters Of Mercy: Lyceum, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 2 November 1984

THERE WAS a time when the Sisters of Mercy would have provided not so much a performance in themselves as an excuse for the audience ...

Mötley Crüe: Dominion, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 21 November 1984

A GOOD night for London Transport. The fans had poured off the bus and Tube to this one squeezed into satin pants, war paint, and ...

Michael McDonald: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Barney Hoskyns, The Guardian, 1985

THIS SHOW proved one thing and proved it triumphantly: you can be a paunchy, greying white Californian with a supremely uncool-looking band and still have ...

Notes That Are Music To His Ears: Clive Davis

Interview by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 1985

What do Barry Manilow, Donovan, Janis Joplin, and Springsteen have in common? They owe a lot of their success to Arista Records’ boss Clive Davis. ...

Suzanne Vega: Live At The LSE, London.

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 1985

Chess metaphors, the myth of Odysseus and the woman he left behind, being a "small blue thing", and, possibly if you listen hard enough, love ...

Leonard Cohen: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 27 February 1985

FOR WHAT are undoubtedly all the wrong reasons, one has come to approach Leonard Cohen with suspicion. The air of long-suffering torture one associates with ...

James: Institute of Contemporary Art, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 21 March 1985

HIGH FLYING in the independent charts, the current darlings of the music press and publicly championed by Morrissey, lead singer with the Smiths — these ...

Eurythmics on the break

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 7 May 1985

Adam Sweeting on the changing mood of a musical odd couple ...

Ricky Skaggs: Dominion Theatre, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 20 May 1985

Mick Brown on Ricky Skaggs's county revival at the Dominion ...

Ashford & Simpson: Ashford and Simpson: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 22 May 1985

TIME HAS revealed Ashford and Simpson to be the most enduring, adaptable — arguably the greatest — of all the great Motown songwriting teams of ...

Scritti Politti: The Politics of Green Land

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 6 July 1985

Adam Sweeting meets Scritti Politti's radical singer-songwriter ...

R.E.M.: On the Southern Frontier

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 12 July 1985

Adam Sweeting meets one of the bands pioneering the new American rock ...

Neil Young: Old Ways Diehard

Profile and Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, September 1985

The old Crosby, Stills and Nash hippie has taken on a new redneck colouration with firm roots in country music. Adam Sweeting looks back from ...

Duran Duran: Style Counsel

Report and Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 2 September 1985

ADAM SWEETING investigates the selling of a pop star package ...

Diana Ross: Second Hand Emotion — Diana Ross: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 20 September 1985

Diana Ross's performance at the Albert Hall was a memorably touching experience — the only trouble was, reports Mick Brown, you couldn't believe a word ...

Bobby Womack: Testament of a preacher man

Interview by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 12 October 1985

FOR ANYBODY remotely interested in black music, past and present; in the continuity between the halcyon days of rhythm and blues and church music and ...

Alex Chilton: Mean Fiddler, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 21 October 1985

Back on top ...

George Benson: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Mick Brown, The Guardian, 1 November 1985

AT LAST! A performer who has conquered the formidable problems of Wembley Arena and turned it to the service of a triumphant concert. ...

Masquerade: Morgan Khan: The groovy side of the street

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 14 February 1986

The entrepreneurial one-man band Morgan Khan talks to Adam Sweeting ...

Big Country: Seer with feet on the ground

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 11 April 1986

Adam Sweeting catches Big Country as they are threatened with superstardom ...

The Cure, The Waterboys: Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 28 April 1986

THE CURE stepped boldly from the shadows to close the series of Sound Waves For Greenpeace shows with a towering set which lasted nearly two ...

Thrashing Doves: Marquee, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 27 June 1986

YOU KNOW something's wrong when people insist that the Housemartins write "great pop songs," Dr. & The Medics lodge at No.1 for weeks, and the ...

Wham!: Wembley Stadium, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 30 June 1986

George's time to go-go: Adam Sweeting on Wham!'s farewell concert at Wembley ...

Keith Jarrett, Wayne Shorter: Capital Jazz Parade, Royal Festival Hall, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 21 July 1986

Winning sets ...

The Jesus & Mary Chain: The Blasphemy of Stardom

Profile and Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 21 July 1986

Mark Cooper reports on the brothers from East Kilbride they banned on Radio 1 ...

Chic, Nile Rodgers: Source of the Nile

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 22 August 1986

Funk guitar specialist Nile Rodgers is also one of the world's great producers. Adam Sweeting reports ...

B.B. King: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 17 October 1986

AFTER 30-ODD years in the trade, in which he's travelled millions of miles and used up lord knows how many sets of guitar strings, it's ...

ZZ Top: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 22 October 1986

Heads in the clouds ...

Julian Cope: No tears for Julian

Profile and Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 24 October 1986

After stunning success with The Teardrop Explodes, Julian Cope blew up. He's back with a new hit. Adam Sweeting reports ...

Robert Palmer: How to Run the Riptide With Style

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 7 November 1986

Adam Sweeting on the rise of Robert Palmer ...

Eurythmics: "I Am Not The Androgynous Annie Lennox. I Never Was. I Used It For Something Else"

Profile and Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 26 November 1986

The Eurythmics Leading lady talks to Adam Sweeting about her life, her music and her image. ...

Elvis Costello & the Attractions: Royalty Theatre, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 1 December 1986

Elvis on the loose: Adam Sweeting sees a master in peak form. ...

The Oyster Band: Out Of Their Shells

Profile and Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 16 January 1987

Mark Cooper on The Oyster Band's place in the "roots" dance revival ...

Rosie Vela: Out of this world

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 23 January 1987

Adam Sweeting meets Rosie Vela, the former cover-girl now looking for success as a singer-songwriter ...

Freddie Jackson, Alexander O'Neal, Teddy Pendergrass, Luther Vandross: Who Took the Heart out of Soul?

Comment by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 2 February 1987

As London prepares for more streamlined sophistication, Adam Sweeting wonders what happened to the sweat and suffering ...

The Judds: Palladium, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 3 February 1987

HOW DIFFERENT one's life might have been if one's mother had been Naomi Judd. One might have been a cowboy, the local sheriff, or better ...

Luther Vandross: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 6 February 1987

Deluxe on his side: Adam Sweeting on Luther Vandross's uptown sounds ...

Cyndi Lauper: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 26 February 1987

FUNNY GIRL! Cyndi Lauper is equal parts Shirley Temple, Rickie Lee Jones and Bugs Bunny, a fruitcake in a musical doll's house wearing cartoon clothes, ...

The Beatles, Happy Mondays, New Order: CDs: The Slipped Disc

Report by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 27 February 1987

Compact Disc has brought the second coming of The Beatles and the promise of a revolution in the rock industry. But is it a sound ...

DAT: How Japan has got the trade taped

Report by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 27 February 1987

There's another audio revolution on the way, and it could pose a piracy threat to the music business, says Mark Cooper. ...

Rough Trade Records: Rough At The Top

Profile and Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 30 February 1987

In the record industry big doesn’t always mean best, and the independent Rough Trade have beaten the big boys in fostering new talent and ideas. ...

Lionel Richie: Crossing the Square

Profile and Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 17 March 1987

The saintly Lionel Richie's co-writer is the Lord. Adam Sweeting reports ...

Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer: Thrash Metal: Psycho Path to the Top

Report by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 20 March 1987

Thrash metal is the new noise of teenage horror, a vinyl equivalent of the video nasty. Mark Cooper reports on the bands that delight in ...

Nanci Griffith, Lyle Lovett, Ricky Skaggs, Randy Travis: New Country: Banjoing the Roy Rogers Image

Report and Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 27 March 1987

It may have had a hard time persuading people to take it seriously but, as Adam Sweeting reports, country music is winning ...

Erasure: Central Hall, Westminster, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 11 April 1987

THANKS MOSTLY to the glittering Andy Bell, Erasure manage not to be the cold stew of circuits and digital read-outs decried by some. Certainly, much ...

Chris Isaak: A Soft Touch

Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 17 April 1987

Chris Isaak's melancholy songs hark back to the teen ballads of the Sixties, reports Mark Cooper ...

Millie Jackson: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 21 April 1987

Dirty work: Adam Sweeting sees Millie Jackson strut her smut at Hammersmith Odeon ...

Tom Jones: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 21 May 1987

Mock macho ...

Randy Newman: The Star And Snipes

Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 22 May 1987

Mark Cooper talks to Randy Newman, standard bearer against the smug and prejudiced ...

The Beastie Boys: Burden of the Beasties

Report and Interview by Jack Barron, The Guardian, 23 May 1987

WHEN THE Beastie Boys step on stage in Brixton tonight at the start of their British tour everyone – the media, authorities, and fans alike ...

The Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Run-DMC, Slayer: Def Jam: Don't Knock The Rock – Rap It

Report by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 1 June 1987

Mark Cooper on how Def Jam crossed over punk with rap, white with black, and stayed cool with both sides ...

David Bowie: Serious twilight — David Bowie: Wembley Stadium, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 22 June 1987

Adam Sweeting finds David Bowie losing his way at Wembley ...

Miles Davis: A little loving goes Miles and miles. Miles Davis: Royal Festival Hall, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 1 July 1987

Adam Sweeting finds one of Jazz's greatest innovators in masterful form at the Festival Hall ...

Billy Joel: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 11 July 1987

Bout with an uptown boy: Adam Sweeting on a roistering evening with Billy Joel at Wembley ...

10,000 Maniacs, R.E.M.: REM and 10,000 Maniacs: Rulers Of The Campus

Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 25 September 1987

College rock is alive and gigging in the US. MARK COOPER hears why from Michael Stipe of REM and Natalie Merchant of 10,000 Maniacs ...

John Hiatt: Return of the Demon Conqueror

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 9 October 1987

Singer-songwriter John Hiatt is back — at his best — from the drugs-and-booze brink. Adam Sweeting reports ...

Aztec Camera, Roddy Frame: Aztec Camera: Cameraman Has Got The Picture

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 16 October 1987

At 23, Roddy Frame of Aztec Camera has an old head on his shoulders, and as Adam Sweeting found out, his new LP benefits from ...

Robbie Robertson: Off the Band Stand

Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 30 October 1987

After turning off the road to rock and ruin, Robbie Robertson is back — on his own terms. Mark Cooper reports ...

George Michael: By George, he's really got it

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 9 November 1987

Rich, talented, and politically aware, George Michael skilfully charts the tricky waters of superstardom. ...

The Proclaimers: Right-on in Auchtermuchty

Profile and Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 13 November 1987

Adam Sweeting finds two reasons for feeling cheerful about alternatives to pop blandness — Scotland's The Proclaimers ...

Pink Floyd, Roger Waters: Roger Waters: Out of Troubled Waters

Profile and Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 20 November 1987

Roger Waters now finds himself in competition with his one-time colleagues in Pink Floyd – he doesn't like it but there are compensations. Mark Cooper ...

The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson: Brian Wilson: Good and Bad Vibrations

Interview by Jeremy Gluck, The Guardian, 1988

Beach Boy Brian Wilson owes his survival to his doctor and a regime of psychotherapy, diet and exercise, he told Jeremy Gluck. ...

Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Holly Johnson: Frankie goes to Litigation

Report and Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 18 January 1988

Holly of Frankie Goes To Hollywood takes his label to court today. Adam Sweeting reports ...

Leonard Cohen: Cohen's Way

Profile and Interview by Mat Snow, The Guardian, February 1988

WE LIVE IN THE days of the flood, says Leonard Cohen. "Most of my psychic landmarks have evaporated. I'm reluctant to apply the psychic realm ...

Afrika Bambaataa: The Funky Cassandra

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 19 February 1988

Adam Sweeting spreads Bambaataa's word for Planet Earth ...

Lyle Lovett: Lovett and Leave It

Profile and Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 4 March 1988

Lyle Lovett is top of the country charts but the laid back Texan has no intentions, he tells Adam Sweeting, of ending up on the treadmill ...

Prefab Sprout: A Satisfying Whiff of Glue

Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 11 March 1988

Paddy McAloon of Prefab Sprout talks to Mark Cooperabout Tin Pan Alley, nostalgia and his search for enchantment ...

David Byrne, Talking Heads: David Byrne: Heads and Tales

Profile and Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 18 March 1988

With Naked, Talking Heads' tenth album, David Byrne is still asking "How did I get here?" Mark Cooper examines a stranger in paradise. ...

Thomas Dolby: Town & Country Club, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 27 April 1988

Cruising in the slow lane ...

Morris Day: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 29 April 1988

A bad Daydream ...

Nanci Griffith: Country Rose of Texas

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 29 April 1988

Nanci Griffith's music may live happily in bedsit or honky-tonk but she tells anecdotes onstage to stop her audience fist-fighting, reports Adam Sweeting ...

Alexander O'Neal: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, May 1988

BANK HOLIDAY weekends used to be taken up with rock and roll frolics. These days soul music has a better grasp of good times and ...

Whitney Houston: NEC, Birmingham

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 3 May 1988

Adam Sweeting marvels at a mega-star in action at the Birmingham NEC ...

Fleetwood Mac: All Meat With The Big Macs

Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 13 May 1988

As Fleetwood Mac start a major tour Mark Cooper talks to Christine McVie about the band that refused to die ...

Ry Cooder: Back Slider

Profile and Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 20 May 1988

Ry Cooder is on the road again. He talks to Mark Cooper ...

The Sugarcubes: Astoria, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 23 May 1988

WITH FRAIL old people packing out Wembley and the charts stuffed with the dross that even Eurovision couldn't stomach (yobbish novelty records, the pitiable Wet ...

Herman Leonard: Then was the time

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 4 June 1988

Herman Leonard caught the mood of the bebop era just by being there. He tells Adam Sweeting how ...

Scritti Politti: Pretension and polish

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 10 June 1988

Adam Sweeting drops in on one of the pop world's top name-droppers ...

George Michael: Earls Court, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 14 June 1988

Right-on George in shape for the 90s Adam Sweeting sees a superstar work out ...

Prince: Sign O' The Times (Dir. Prince; Paisley Park Films)

Film/DVD/TV Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 7 July 1988

Let the good times rock — Adam Sweeting finds brilliance abounds in Prince's latest film ...

Bob Dylan: Pennebaker Looks Back

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 15 July 1988

Adam Sweeting turns the tables on the man who documented the young Dylan ...

Michael Jackson: The Greatest Showman — Michael Jackson: Wembley Stadium, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 15 July 1988

Adam Sweeting on the dazzling Michael Jackson at Wembley ...

Nico, The Velvet Underground: Nico: A Baleful Dark Brown Voice

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 23 July 1988

NICO, THE baleful Teutonic queen of sixties New York, has died in Ibiza after a cerebral haemorrhage suffered while cycling in intense mid-day heat. She ...

Prince: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 26 July 1988

MINNEAPOLIS COMES to Broadway! Even in the wake of Wacko, Prince's latest show is something of an eyeball-popper. The 64-inch-high prodigy materialises from a gleaming ...

Carly Simon: Free as a liberal prude

Profile and Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 30 July 1988

Carly Simon is back after years of artistic famine. She tells Adam Sweeting about life beyond the emotional bumps ...

Eric B. & Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Mantronix: Taking the Rap

Report and Interview by Bruce Dessau, The Guardian, 5 August 1988

Club violence and the whiff of gunsmoke are accompanying rap's rise to prominence in the United States. Bruce Dessau reports ...

Everything But The Girl, Tracey Thorn: Tracey Thorn: Doctorate feelgood

Interview by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 10 August 1988

A daughter of punk, Tracey Thorn is riding high in the pop charts. But academia looms just as large in her life. ...

Bob Marley & the Wailers, Bunny Wailer, The Wailers: A Wailer Surfaces to Claim Reggae's Crown

Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 26 August 1988

After Marley, what price reggae? Mark Cooper on Bunny Wailer's musical crusade ...

Salt-N-Pepa: Salt 'N Pepa: Shakin' Seasons

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 31 August 1988

It's hard being a woman rapper in a man's world, but Salt 'N Pepa have made it. Adam Sweeting found them in Oklahoma City. ...

Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club: Tom Tom Club: The Byrne Issue

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 14 October 1988

Adam Sweeting on Talking Heads, the Tom Tom Club, and the great divide between the two ...

Cameo: Flat Out for the Top

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 21 October 1988

To celebrate Cameo's thirteenth album Adam Sweeting joins Larry Blackmon for a wholemeal bagel in downtown New York. ...

Anita Baker, Luther Vandross: Luther Vandross, Anita Baker: Omni Coliseum, Atlanta GA

Live Review by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 25 November 1988

Casanova in a shiny suit ...

Sandie Shaw: University of London Union, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 26 November 1988

Sandie's sure thing Adam Sweeting welcomes Sandie Shaw back to live gigs. ...

Steve Earle & the Dukes: Town & Country Club, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 1 December 1988

When more means less ...

Bon Jovi: Metal's mettle

Profile and Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 2 December 1988

Adam Sweeting meets Bon Jovi, the hard-rockers turned chart phenomenc ...

The Proclaimers: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 5 December 1988

The doublevision: Adam Sweeting savours the Proclaimers at Hammersmith Odeon ...

Roy Orbison: Singer of the lives of the lonely

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 8 December 1988

Yesterday, pop hero Roy Orbison died at the age of 52. Adam Sweeting records the legend of the broken-hearted balladeer, whose life was as tragic ...

Sting: Culture candy

Report and Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 16 December 1988

Adam Sweeting watches the label boom and fears a future of repackaged rock, candyfloss music and 'low-stress' hard sell ...

Martin Carthy: A Passage to England

Profile and Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 29 December 1988

Martin Carthy believes in the power of performance, not purity. Mark Cooper meets the folkie who refuses to play safe. ...

Morrissey: Wolverhampton

Live Review by Len Brown, The Guardian, 30 December 1988

WITH A soft Charles Hawtrey-style "hullo" and a shower of flowers. Steven Patrick Morrissey returns to the stage. It's two years since his uniquely English ...

Neneh Cherry: A Gap in the Rap

Interview by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 25 January 1989

Neneh Cherry is one of many women invading the hip hop scene ...

Fine Young Cannibals: Stay fresh and keep 'em hungry

Interview by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 8 February 1989

Roland Gift tells Lucy O'Brien about the Fine Young Cannibals' appetite for success ...

The Judds: Kentucky dreamers

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 10 February 1989

The Judds' story is worthy of a country song. Adam Sweeting on the long road from Morrill, Kentucky, to the Dominion, London. ...

The Waterboys: Kilburn National, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 22 February 1989

The incredible Galway gypsies ...

David Crosby: A Hippy out of Hell

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 3 March 1989

David Crosby is back with an album and autobiography. He talks to Adam Sweeting ...

Philip Glass, S'Express: S'Express: Disorderly House

Profile and Interview by Bruce Dessau, The Guardian, 17 March 1989

Mark Moore and S'Express have taken British music one step beyond the Acid House formula. Bruce Dessau reports ...

Luther Vandross: The Soul Survivor

Profile and Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 24 March 1989

Mark Cooper on the awesome presence that is Luther Vandross ...

Cowboy Junkies: Royal Festival Hall, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 27 March 1989

Cowpoking explorers: one of the newest names in New Country and an all-out thrash attack ...

Luther Vandross: A night with the fat controller — Luther Vandross: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 1 April 1989

Adam Sweeting finds the rich fare of Luther Vandross a mixed blessing at Wembley Arena ...

Roachford: Town & Country, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 5 April 1989

IT MAY ONLY be rock 'n' roll, but Andrew Roachford and his band kick up the kind of excitement from an audience that has been ...

Green On Red: Town & Country, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 10 April 1989

IT WAS one of those nights. "Poor old Dan," wailed Dan Stuart, leading the new-look Green On Red into waters apparently uncharted by much rehearsal. ...

The Triffids: Shaw Theatre, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 14 April 1989

The way of the Triffids ...

Sammy Davis Jr., Liza Minnelli, Frank Sinatra: Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli, Sammy Davis Jr.: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 20 April 1989

Come to the cabaret, old chums. Adam Sweeting gets a kick out of Liza, Sammy and a revitalised Frank Sinatra at the Albert Hall. ...

Diana Ross: The Queen of Muzak — Diana Ross: NEC, Birmingham

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 1 May 1989

Adam Sweeting finds the Birmingham crowd more entertaining than Diana Ross ...

Lucinda Williams: Mean Fiddler, London

Live Review by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 5 May 1989

Twang go the heart strings ...

Tom Jones: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 11 May 1989

Jones the joker ...

Johnny Cash: Southern Comfort

Profile and Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 12 May 1989

The Man in Black is back fighting the good fight. Adam Sweeting catches up with Johnny Cash, travelling troubadour, in Cambridge ...

The The's Thatcher Years

Interview by Bruce Dessau, The Guardian, 12 May 1989

Matt Johnson tells Bruce Dessau how he's managed to mix pop and politics ...

10,000 Maniacs: A Lioness's Share of Woe

Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 19 May 1989

Natalie Merchant is fighting the world's battles in her songs. Mark Cooper finds out why. ...

Elton John: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 24 May 1989

Battered and upright ...

R.E.M.: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 1 June 1989

The green line over Georgia Adam Sweeting at Hammersmith Odeon on the homespun charms of R.E.M. ...

Cookie Crew: Some Cookies Don't Crumble

Interview by Sheryl Garratt, The Guardian, 21 June 1989

British rap is taken seriously in the States largely due to the Cookie Crew. Sheryl Garratt found out why ...

Bobby Brown: Bobby Bites The Bullet

Profile and Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 23 June 1989

Mark Cooper meets the young American soul star everybody's gunning for ...

Bobby Brown: Soul's Carnal Cruiser: Bobby Brown, Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 26 June 1989

He came, they saw, he conquered... Adam Sweeting on Bobby Brown at the Wembley Arena ...

Cowboy Junkies: The Cowboy Junkies: Cowboy country

Profile and Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 30 June 1989

Mark Cooper hears how the Cowboy Junkies draw on Canada for their inspiration ...

Chaka Khan: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 1 July 1989

No Khan do... ...

Pere Ubu, The Pixies: Pixies, Pere Ubu: Kilburn National, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 7 July 1989

SUPPORT FOR The Pixies, Boston's finest, came from Pere Ubu, born again (and again) as cortex-tickling popsters via the Cloudland album. Vocalist David Thomas, a sweating balloon ...

Pet Shop Boys: The Pet Shop Boys: The double exposure

Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 7 July 1989

Previously glimpsed only on videos and record sleeves, the Pet Shop Boys are going live. Mark Cooper previews their materialisation ...

Carole King: Stepping Out Of The Shadows

Profile and Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 14 July 1989

Carole King is coming out from behind her piano because she wants to rock. Mark Cooper reports. ...

Pet Shop Boys: The Pet Shop Boys: NEC Arena, Birmingham

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 17 July 1989

All good guilty fun. Adam Sweeting watches the Pet Shop Boys come to life ...

Bob Mould, Husker Du: Bob Mould: Out of the Warehouse

Profile and Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 21 July 1989

DESPITE THE flood of veterans currently patching up ancient quarrels for one last sack of ancient dollars, divorce rather than reconciliation remains the common fate ...

Liza Minnelli, Pet Shop Boys: All Eyes Are On Liza

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 14 August 1989

"My whole life I've sung songs that were written before I was born." But no longer. Liza Minnelli, Oscar-winning superstar, talks to Adam Sweeting about ...

Del Amitri, Diesel Park West: Del Amitri, Diesel Dark West: Astoria, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 15 August 1989

THIS WAS a fine example of the technology gap which now yawns between live performance and the studio. Unless you're able to invest incalculable sums ...

Keith Richards, The Rolling Stones: Keith Richards: Sealed with a disc

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 25 August 1989

Keith Richards bridles at the suggestion that rock is a young man's game. Spruced up, rifts with Mick Jagger all forgotten, he and the Stones ...

Terence Trent D'Arby: D'Arby has his day

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 7 September 1989

Terence Trent D'Arby has a new album on the way. He also has a clearer idea of his role in the world, as Adam Sweeting ...

Gloria Estefan: Estefan in Exile

Profile and Interview by Bruce Dessau, The Guardian, 15 September 1989

Bruce Dessau on the singer hailed by President Reagan as the capitalist face of communist Cuba. ...

Ian McCulloch: After the echo fades

Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 22 September 1989

Ian McCulloch has lost the Bunnymen. But his confidence and boyish innocence remain intact. Mark Cooper reports. ...

Dusty Springfield: Starring role

Comment by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 27 September 1989

Any woman pop star who comes out puts her career on the line as Dusty Springfield discovered. Lucy O'Brien reports ...

The Neville Brothers: At Last The Legend Lives

Profile and Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 5 October 1989

The Neville Brothers, long held in awe by fellow musicians, are finally selling records. Mark Cooper on the London-bound band. ...

Kate Bush: Bushwacked by Kate

Profile and Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 12 October 1989

THE WOMAN pouring tea in a hotel near EMI records has a wide, warm smile and speaks with such endearing openness that you wonder if ...

Rickie Lee Jones: Keeping Her Cool

Profile and Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 25 October 1989

Shot to stardom 10 years ago, Rickie Lee Jones has fought her way back – no less cool but much more confident. Mark Cooper reports ...

The Creatures, Siouxsie & The Banshees: Siouxsie Sioux: Mellowing of a Banshee

Interview by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 25 October 1989

Lucy O'Brien on Siouxsie Sioux's new Creature comforts and lasting spirit ...

Don Henley: Eagle's elegy

Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 28 October 1989

Don Henley of the Eagles is 42. Mark Cooper found him lamenting lost youth as he prepares for his London concert. ...

Michelle Shocked: Culture Shocked

Interview by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 8 November 1989

Feminist fans may be outraged by her apparent change of image, but it's no sell-out, as Michelle Shocked tells Lucy O'Brien ...

Belinda Carlisle, The Go-Go's: Belinda Carlisle: From Go Go to Solo

Interview by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 22 November 1989

She's come through the live-fast, look-bad, almost die-young scene to a beautiful future. Belinda Carlisle tells Lucy O'Brien how she did it ...

The Wonder Stuff: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 28 November 1989

Carry on rocking: Mark Cooper on a glittering performance from Wonder Stuff ...

Cat Glover, Prince: Cat Glover: Cat goes for the cream

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 21 December 1989

Adam Sweeting on why Prince's dancing sensation is aiming for stardom — without him ...

Terence Trent D'Arby: The Marquee, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 10 January 1990

IT'S ALWAYS a lark to be able to see major-ish artists in small settings, and perhaps we should be grateful to all the people who ...

Simply Red: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 11 January 1990

Slightly Red: Adam Sweeting on Hucknall and co — skilful but loutish at Wembley ...

Mel & Kim: Mel Appleby: The Bravery Lying Behind All That Fun, Love & Money

Obituary by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 31 January 1990

Lucy O'Brien finds the pop world full of praise for the courage of Mel Appleby of the bubbly duo Mel and Kim, who this month lost ...

Quincy Jones: The Hit Master

Profile and Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 8 February 1990

From Satchmo to Wacko Jacko, Quincy Jones has worked with them all. Now, he tells Mark Cooper, it's time to take stock. ...

Daniel Lanois: Royal Festival Hall, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 10 February 1990

BEST KNOWN for producing U2's The Joshua Tree and whipping up a little dust-storm of hipness around Dylan's Oh Mercy, Daniel Lanois is also a ...

Del Shannon: Pop Before the Beatles

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 10 February 1990

THE APPARENT suicide of Del Shannon at his home in California puts the final tragic twist to a story which began well with a string ...

Grace Jones: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 30 March 1990

THE GRACE Jones Experience could be described as long-awaited. The chap pressed up to the front of the stage certainly thought so. "Waiting three hours ...

The Jungle Brothers, KRS-One, Public Enemy: Rapped in Black

Report and Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 5 April 1990

An Africa-shaped pendant has become the new badge of honour for American rappers, reports Mark Cooper ...

The Jungle Brothers, KRS-One, Public Enemy: Rapped in Black

Report and Interview by Mark Cooper, The Guardian, 5 April 1990

An Africa-shaped pendant has become the new badge of honour for American rappers, reports Mark Cooper ...

Del Amitri: The down-to-earth Del boys

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 12 April 1990

'Ancient', honest and confused — Del Amitri are not a typical overnight sensation, Adam Sweeting reports ...

Mary Chapin Carpenter, Katy Moffatt, Willie Nelson, Kimmie Rhodes: Willie Nelson, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Kimmie Rhodes, Katy Moffatt: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 18 April 1990

The other Nelson jumps genres ...

Clint Black, Rosanne Cash, Rodney Crowell: Clint Black: Mean Fiddler, London; Rosanne Cash, Rodney Crowell: Town & Country Club, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 28 May 1990

Signing stetsons and killing time ...

Rag Bag of Mags

Report by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 2 June 1990

Adam Sweeting looks at a new round of paper wars ...

Bobby Brown: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 5 June 1990

Coming over lewd and clear ...

And Why Not?: Brum, brum — hot tracks!

Interview by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 6 June 1990

Having seen their heroes' feet of clay and having dodged the Bros comparisons the only way for a successful young group, reports Lucy O'Brien is ...

Pet Shop Boys, Dusty Springfield: Lusty Springfield

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 7 June 1990

Adam Sweeting speaks to the '60s icon who has risen from pop's graveyard to breathe new life into the charts. ...

Prince: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 21 June 1990

The Prince's new clothes ...

Little Feat: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 2 July 1990

THERE'S A song on Little Feat's 1988 album, Let It Roll, called 'Hangin' On To The Good Times'. It's a syrupy, self-romanticising look back at ...

Madonna: Wembley Stadium, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 21 July 1990

Madonna Inc in tireless and tiresome spectacle ...

Betty Boo: Take-off for the girl from Planet Boo

Interview by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 22 August 1990

Funky fantasy and shy eyes, hope and regret... Lucy O'Brien on the two sides of Betty, aka Alison ...

Living Colour: Rocking the Boat

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 23 August 1990

Establishment America says rock is a white man's prerogative. Adam Sweeting on why Living Colour think otherwise ...

The Time: Time without the Prince

Profile by Bruce Dessau, The Guardian, 31 August 1990

MOST BANDS that get together after solo careers do so to cash in on their past. If the Minneapolis band the Time had wanted to ...

Crazy Horse, The Kinsey Report, Neil Young: Neil Young: Ragged Glory (Reprise); The Kinsey Report: Powerhouse (pointblank)

Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 13 September 1990

Aged Young still wild at heart ...

Jason Donovan: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 24 September 1990

IT MUST have been sheer devilry that inspired someone to play Prince over the PA directly before Jason Donovan came on stage. Even Jason, awaiting ...

The Lilac Time: Lilac Time: Bloomsbury Theatre, London

Live Review by Bruce Dessau, The Guardian, 3 October 1990

IT IS indicative of the changing face of pop that on the cover of Lilac Time's new LP, And Love For All, recorded in early ...

Janet Jackson: Janet takes her video on tour

Report by Bruce Dessau, The Guardian, 19 October 1990

JANET JACKSON'S first solo tour has crossed the globe on its way to the UK — not without some hitches. One member of the entourage ...

Big Fun, Jason Donovan, Kylie Minogue, New Kids On The Block: Kylie Minogue et al: Mild at heart

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 23 October 1990

Today's pop idols seem so insipid that fans are turning to turtles for thrills. Caroline Sullivan on the Kylie/Jason phenomenon. ...

Charlatans, The (UK): The Charlatans: Independents have their day

Profile and Interview by Bruce Dessau, The Guardian, 23 October 1990

TWELVE months is a long time in pop music. This time last year The Charlatans had never made a record. They could only boast that ...

A-Ha Have the Last Laugh on the Teeny Tag

Profile and Interview by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 14 December 1990

Groups come and go in a flash but the boys from Norway seem to have staying power. Lucy O'Brien reports ...

EMF: the Marquee, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 18 December 1990

Herod and the grey suits ...

Was (Not Was): The Was bros who weren't

Interview by Bruce Dessau, The Guardian, 3 January 1991

Middle-class Jewish boys from Motor City, Was (Not Was) have set out to show that white men can make soul music. Bruce Dessau reports ...

Def Leppard: Obituary: Steve Clark — Hard Rock Hero

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 10 January 1991

THE DEATH of Def Leppard's guitarist Steve Clark, aged 30, on Tuesday morning was the latest disaster to strike the Sheffield group. On New Year's ...

George Michael: NEC, Birmingham

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 17 January 1991

"THE MOST constructive thing I can do now is to try to be a great songwriter," says George Michael. ...

Jonathan King: King Prat

Interview by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 9 February 1991

On the titter count he scores high. And he insists on playing the prat because it pays off so handsomely. But the music biz has ...

Joni Mitchell: They paint paradise

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 14 February 1991

Now Joni Mitchell's more at ease at her easel, reports Adam Sweeting ...

Rickie Lee Jones

Interview by Barney Hoskyns, The Guardian, March 1991

AS ANY OF the fans who have helped to sell out her shows in London and Glasgow this weekend will know, Rickie Lee Jones likes ...

Chickasaw Mudd Puppies, Jane's Addiction: Jane's Addiction, Chickasaw Mudd Puppies: Marquee, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 6 March 1991

THEY'RE ALREADY hacking a broad swathe through the Americas, and Jane's Addiction's appearance for this "secret" show turned the Marquee into a vile, heaving sweat-box. ...

The Dave Clark Five, Phil Collins, Don Henley, Keith Moon, R.E.M.: Drummers: Adventurers in the Skins Trade

Overview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 8 March 1991

Dim, manic, noisy, and rarely women. But drummers aren't all troll-like, says Adam Sweeting ...

Gloria Estefan: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 10 April 1991

THE SMALL but dynamic Gloria Estefan does not look like someone only recently recovered from a major back injury sustained in a road accident. ...

Unsound Moves in the Print Trade

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 11 April 1991

Caroline Sullivan investigates the long-standing malaise afflicting the weekly music press after last week's closure of Sounds and the merger of Record Mirror with Music ...

808 State: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Bruce Dessau, The Guardian, 15 April 1991

WHILE Manchester's club culture is rent asunder by rave-dazed apathy and internecine drug wars, the bands that made the scene move on. Happy Mondays are ...

Alexander O'Neal: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 23 April 1991

ALEXANDER O'NEAL'S last British tour was famed for the moment during the concert when a double bed was wheeled on stage and a young laydee ...

Inspiral Carpets, Massive Attack: Massive: Blue Lines (Wild Bunch/Circa); Inspiral Carpets: The Beast Inside (Mute)

Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 25 April 1991

Massive unfinished sympathy ...

Sting: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 26 April 1991

IT SEEMS unlikely that Sting has been paying attention to his critics, but with his new stripped-down band and a show sprinkled with The Police's ...

New York Dolls, Johnny Thunders, Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers: Johnny Thunders: Punk and Drugs and Warhol

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 30 April 1991

JOHNNY THUNDERS had long been a by-word for self-destruction through drugs and hard living. In 1981, Trouser Press magazine cynically declared Thunders "legally dead" alongside a cartoon ...

MC Hammer: Hammering pop peace and Pepsi

Profile by Bruce Dessau, The Guardian, 2 May 1991

IF ANYONE was still sceptical about the mainstream of rap, a quick glance at MC Hammer's considerable commercial achievements will soon put them right. His ...

MC Hammer: NEC, Birmingham

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 4 May 1991

Hammered home: Adam Sweeting sees MC Hammer let the rap rip at the Birmingham NEC on a night of music and moralising ...

Banderas: Plain unfair

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 7 May 1991

In the precious and profitable world of pop, how you look, it seems, is more important than how you sound, Caroline Sullivan reports ...

MC Hammer: Me, Jesus and the President

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 7 May 1991

Adam Sweeting is privy to a generous 15 minutes of MC Hammer's hard-earned fame ...

Sinéad O'Connor: Angel of Angst

Profile and Interview by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 15 June 1991

Sinead O'Connor's need for self-exorcism has made her a target of the tabloids. Sean O'Hagan talks to the outspoken singer. ...

Vanilla Ice: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 25 June 1991

THE TOUTS on Empire Way were peevish. Entire blocks of seats for Vanilla Ice's London debut were still empty and no one was buying. Much ...

Rock at the Movies

Essay by Charles Shaar Murray, The Guardian, July 1991

FASHIONS IN FOLK devils, like all other fashions, are subject both to painless expiry and to unexpected and possibly incongruous resurrections. ...

Deee-Lite: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 16 July 1991

LAST YEAR, Deee-Lite's fusion of hip-hop beats and hippy good vibes supposedly presaged a kinder, gentler era in pop. Nothing much changed, but Deee-Lite still ...

Cath Carroll: Home is where the heart is

Profile and Interview by Bruce Dessau, The Guardian, 31 July 1991

With the release of her rhythmic debut album, England Made Me, Cath Carroll crosses from punk past to Latin future, as Bruce Dessau reports ...

Milli Vanilli: The Award Sinners

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 17 August 1991

The Milli Vanilli affair rocked the secretive world of pop. CAROLINE SULLIVAN on the scandal of stars who don't sing — and the judge with ...

Jane's Addiction: Lollapalooza

Report by Simon Reynolds, The Guardian, 29 August 1991

LOLLAPALOOZA means a bizarre happening. ...

Voice Of The Beehive: Town & Country Club, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 20 September 1991

Bumble Bees ...

Wet Wet Wet: Ronnie Scott's, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 4 November 1991

FOR WET Wet Wet's first British date for two years their record company was taking no chances. An audience of Radio One competition winners was ...

U2: Achtung! Saint Bono

Profile by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 7 November 1991

All but canonised in Ireland, U2's lead singer preaches redemption through rock 'n' roll. But now he's learning to write about girls. Sean O'Hagan profiles ...

U2: Achtung! Saint Bono

Profile by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 7 November 1991

All but canonised in Ireland, U2's lead singer preaches redemption through rock 'n' roll. But now he's learning to write about girls. Sean O'Hagan profiles ...

Bourgie Bourgie, Faith Hope & Charity, JoBoxers, Billy Mackenzie, The Pop Tarts: Everybody's gone drop of the pops

Report and Interview by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 14 November 1991

As the recession hits record labels, Lucy O'Brien talks to some of the bands who've been given the chop ...

Salt-N-Pepa: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 7 December 1991

MEN, ACCORDING to the rapteuses, Salt 'n' Pepa, are good for one thing. "And sometimes they're not even good for that," Salt observed, on stage ...

Nirvana: The indie alternative

Report by Simon Reynolds, The Guardian, 19 December 1991

This year saw groups like Nirvana breaking into the mainstream,. Simon Reynolds reports on the changing face of the charts ...

Cookie Crew, Salt-N-Pepa, Sister Souljah: Sisters Are Rapping It For Themselves

Report and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 16 January 1992

In the misogynistic world of rap, anybody who's not one of the boys is a whore or more genially a bitch. But even the female ...

The Rolling Stones: Bradford rolls away the Stones: At the Max

Film/DVD/TV Review by Bruce Dessau, The Guardian, 30 January 1992

Bruce Dessau reports on a Rolling Stones concert film — the first to be shown on IMAX ...

Horace Andy, Massive Attack: Keep on Runnings

Report by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 15 February 1992

Bob Marley's music is not the young music in Kingston today. Ragga not reggae is king. And that took the British group Massive Attack to ...

The Wedding Present: Staying Single

Interview by Bruce Dessau, The Guardian, 20 February 1992

Bruce Dessau meets a band who bizarrely believe that 45s are still cool ...

Daisy Chainsaw, The Nymphs, Shakespears Sister: Rock's Savage Sorority

Report and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 27 February 1992

Caroline Sullivan on how women are using music to cope with rape, abortion, drugs. ...

Barry White: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 12 March 1992

Lurve and kisses: Caroline Sullivan on the night Barry White made the earth move ...

Lisa Stansfield: Soul of Discretion in a Hotel Laundry

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 19 March 1992

'If I've a hole in my tights, I'll sew it up. You can wear them under trousers.' Caroline Sullivan on Rochdale's most ordinary export, Lisa ...

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: Tom Petty: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 26 March 1992

IS TOM PETTY thrashing out a mid-life crisis or has he always been this way? His current show certainly leaves you wondering. American rock is ...

Curve, Primal Scream: Curve: Town and Country Club; Primal Scream: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 30 March 1992

THE TRADITIONAL concert is being supplanted in some surprising quarters by the rave — anything from an all-nighter in which the group are just one ...

Julian Lennon: Kensal Dock, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 2 April 1992

IT IS DIFFICULT to contain a sneaking compassion for Julian Lennon. Unwelcome comparisons, rarely in his favour, continue to dog his career. They surfaced even ...

L7: University of London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 11 April 1992

L7: THE FIRST artistically-credible female heavy metalists, or rock vixens with more decibels than sense? The question divided the electorate at Thursday's sold out show. ...

Desmond Child, Diane Warren: Tracks Of Their Tears

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 18 May 1992

Caroline Sullivan hunts down the US songwriters responsible for the junk ballad ...

Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine: Carter USM: Stars of the Singlets Market

Report by Bruce Dessau, The Guardian, 21 May 1992

Never mind the music, it's the T-shirt that counts these days. Bruce Dessau reports ...

Natalie Cole, Nat King Cole: Natalie Cole: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 25 May 1992

'UNFORGETTABLE', Natalie Cole's "duet" with her father, Nat "King", cleaned up this year's Grammy awards. The song, wherein Natalie's voice was grafted onto Pop's 1951 ...

Erasure, Right Said Fred: When the flirting stops

Report and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 9 July 1992

Sex is back in the charts. But it doesn't seem to be using a condom. Caroline Sullivan reports ...

Sonic Youth: Here Come The Noise Terrorists: Sonic Youth

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 21 July 1992

THUNDEROUS mantra-grooves and jagged fanfares of atonal brass boom across the parched grass of New York's Central Park, though it could equally well be Monterey ...

Throwing Muses: Kristin Hersh: Tortured by the Muse

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 10 September 1992

Caroline Sullivan on the nightmare illness which drives singer-songwriter Kristin Hersh ...

Tom Waits: A Mellower Prince Of Melancholy

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 15 September 1992

HE MIGHT STILL dress as though he staggers around sniffing under dustbin lids, but now the self styled Oddball Kid refuses to play his old ...

ABBA, Bjorn Again: ABBA: The High Priests of Euro-naff

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 21 September 1992

The sateen-flared Swedes are back again. Caroline Sullivan on Abba — The Revival ...

Happy Mondays: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 19 October 1992

THESE ARE troubled times for the Happy Mondays. Their new album, Yes, Please!, reputedly went over budget and has not had the sales to compensate. ...

Suede: SW1 Club, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 22 October 1992

BARELY six months old, Suede are attracting extravagant hyperbole. The London foursome have been deemed the best British guitar band since the Smiths, and their ...

Rory Gallagher: Town & Country Club, Leeds

Live Review by Simon Warner, The Guardian, 2 November 1992

IT WAS ALWAYS likely to be a heavy onus for the guitarist Rory Gallagher to bear when it was confirmed that he would be the ...

Bon Jovi: Search for a New Faith

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 6 November 1992

Jon Bon Jovi jumped off rock's roller-coaster and started to look around. What he saw has changed what he is ...

Nigel Kennedy: Cat Whose Cream Went Sour

Interview by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 13 November 1992

'At some point I'll have to think about whether it's my responsibility as a musician to get into heavier drugs simply to find out more ...

Rock Till They Drop

Report and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 November 1992

Most senior citizens hate pop. But a few still thrill to the sound of a synthesiser ...

Nina Simone: Diva Of The Dives

Interview by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 20 November 1992

APPROACHING 60, Nina Simone, Princess Noir with the famed attitude, has got used to putting punters in their place. A one-time classical musician she should ...

Shonen Knife: ULU, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 2 December 1992

TOKYO APPARENTLY has a flourishing indie scene, and female trio Shonen Knife are its stars. Their popularity certainly emphasises the cultural gap between East and ...

Boney M: The Fridge, Brixton, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 19 January 1993

WHAT MIXTURE of whimsy and misanthropy persuaded Arista Records to release a "Boney M megamix"? It appears to be part of a bizarre masterplan to ...

Cornershop: Camden Underworld, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 8 February 1993

WERE IT not for the fact that two members are Punjabi Sikhs, Leicester's Cornershop would be just another dinful grunge unit. Camden's Underworld club was ...

The Stranglers: Leeds University

Live Review by Simon Warner, The Guardian, 8 February 1993

IN THE SUB-CULTURAL flow, punk rushed headlong in a bid to create the spontaneous, ephemeral and disposable. Some irony then, that 15 years on, the ...

Belly: Happy days in hell

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 10 February 1993

Airy melodies and nightmare lyrics make Belly a surprise hit ...

Tasmin Archer: St George's Hall, Bradford

Live Review by Simon Warner, The Guardian, 9 March 1993

A BLACK WOMAN based in Yorkshire, singer-songwriter Tasmin Archer might be seen as a figure on the margins in almost every sense. Add to that ...

Ice Cube: Murder Rap

Profile by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 11 March 1993

He's armed and he's dangerous: Ice Cube's lyrics are about race hate, the Los Angeles gangs and the glory of the gun. He's America's worst ...

Apache Indian, Cornershop, Fun-Da-Mental: Real Lives: Rock of Asians

Report and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 March 1993

Britain's Asian community has long hosted a thriving pop scene, operating in a lucrative parallel universe to the chart mainstream. Now, CAROLINE SULLIVAN reports, radical ...

Bikini Kill, Huggy Bear: University of London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 16 March 1993

RIOT GRRRL, a radical feminist frock movement originating in Washington state, is generating much controversy in the US. Even the New York Times has published a chin-stroking ...

Arrested Development: Town and Country Club, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 18 March 1993

ATLANTA hip hoppers Arrested Development are the very antithesis of Ice Cube, whose tour they follow by just a few days. They counter Cube's scatter-gun ...

Huggy Bear: Angry Young Women

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 24 March 1993

Take the in-yer-face spirit of punk, add a dash of Mom's best feminist cant. Born in the USA, now raising hell here, Riot Grrrls are ...

The Auteurs: Camden Underworld, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 29 March 1993

Bound for a kind of glory Caroline Sullivan joined the crush to hear The Auteurs ...

The Lemonheads: National Ballroom, Kilburn, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 7 April 1993

Pop's tangy new taste ...

Kingmaker, Pulp, The Wedding Present: Wedding Present/Pulp/Kingmaker: The Leadmill, Sheffield

Live Review by Simon Warner, The Guardian, 7 April 1993

THE STEEL CITY, commemorating its centenary and celebrating soccer success, turned rock capital as a week of music events, including concerts, seminars and workshops, got ...

The Orb: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 20 April 1993

PIONEERS OF neo-progressive pop or appalling hippy throwbacks? That both descriptions apply to the Orb indicates the scale of the changes occurring in rock music. ...

PJ Harvey: Rid Of Me (Island CID8002/514 696-2)

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 23 April 1993

Somerset psyche ...

John Shuttleworth: Buzz Club,  Manchester

Live Review by Simon Warner, The Guardian, 28 April 1993

ONE-TIME PUNK parodist in the guise of Jilted John, actor Graham Fellows has emerged in a new incarnation – a singer-songwriter of dubious pedigree by ...

Sounds of Blackness: The Sounds of Blackness: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 29 April 1993

IT WAS hard to believe that a gospel choir spawned the lubricious soulster, Alexander O'Neal, until you saw the ensemble in question. Minneapolis's 40-piece Sounds ...

New Order: Joyful division

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 12 May 1993

New Order have overcome the collapse of Factory Records and leapt into the charts with a number one album ...

Stereo MCs: Academy, Manchester

Live Review by Simon Warner, The Guardian, 24 May 1993

WITH THE ticket touts in the Manchester streets peddling their wares at up to £40 apiece, the Stereo MCs were unquestionably the hottest ticket in ...

Shabba Ranks: Ragga Bragger — Shabba Ranks: Maestro Club, Bradford

Live Review by Simon Warner, The Guardian, 28 May 1993

Shabba Ranks, the bad boy of ragga, in Bradford ...

Guns N' Roses: Chopper rock — Guns N' Roses: National Bowl, Milton Keynes

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 31 May 1993

Guns N' Roses, high on attitude, bring their macho moves to Milton Keynes ...

Pet Shop Boys: MTV Launches in Russia - and the PSBs Cut the Ribbon!

Report and Interview by Dave Rimmer, The Guardian, June 1993

2002 NOTE: This piece about the launching of MTV Russia was published by the Guardian in London, by Tip magazine in Berlin, and by the ...

The Beatles, Sex Pistols: Pointing Pistols at the throne

Essay by Jon Savage, The Guardian, 2 June 1993

There is something Rotten in the state of England. Republicanism is emerging as an option even for Tory meritocrats — thanks to the punk's subversiveness ...

Bros, East 17, Let Loose, Take That, Worlds Apart: Pop Goes The Bubblegum

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 18 June 1993

Teenybopper bands were once besieged by fans wherever they went. The new generation's tame in comparison. Why? ...

Lena Fiagbe , Lenny Kravitz: Back to the future — Lenny Kravitz, Lena Fiagbe: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 29 June 1993

Lenny Kravitz brings a dash of sixties to the nineties at the Brixton Academy ...

Prince: My name is Prince (well it was)

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 21 July 1993

To criticise Prince is to reveal yourself as a musically illiterate Jason Donovan fan. But who is this workaholic, whose band call him 'sir' and ...

Prince & the New Power Generation: National Indoor Arena, Birmingham

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 28 July 1993

Funked up: The new PC Prince starts his British tour in fine style in Birmingham ...

Tony! Toni! Toné!: Forum, London

Live Review by Andrew Smith, The Guardian, 8 September 1993

THERE ARE many unspoken rules in pop. One is that you can tell how important a group consider themselves to be by the number of ...

Saint Etienne: St Etienne: Hacienda, Manchester

Live Review by Simon Warner, The Guardian, 14 September 1993

BRITAIN'S NATIONAL popular music convention In the City, Manchester's five-day jamboree of industry chatter and on-stage over-drive, adds weight to the argument that the place, ...

Madonna: The Entertainer — Madonna: Wembley Stadium, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 27 September 1993

Despite attempts to write her off, Madonna's spectacular costume cabaret proved that she's not dead, just feverish. ...

Liz Phair: HQ Club, London

Live Review by Andrew Smith, The Guardian, 29 September 1993

A FEW years back, with acid house at its peak and video games beginning to bite into record sales, there emerged a theory that rock ...

PJ Harvey: Good golly, Ms Polly

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 1 October 1993

Screeching harridan? Feminist heroine? One thing's certain: Polly Jean Harvey's tortured song-tantrums are a far cry from Captain Beefheart. ...

Leftfield, L.F.O., Andrew Weatherall: Techno: The Sound Warp

Overview by Jon Savage, The Guardian, 22 October 1993

Let me take you on a journey... After the drugs and the digital-industrial dreamscapes, just what is the secret of the mega-successful Techno white dance ...

Mojo: Rock of Ages

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 29 October 1993

Mojo, a glossy monthly aimed at ageing rockers, is the latest in a long line of minutely targeted music magazines ...

Fun-Da-Mental: Civic, London

Live Review by Andrew Smith, The Guardian, 2 November 1993

IN 1992, WE thought we were unshockable. Then came news of an English band, those angry sons of Asian immigrants, who had found a chink ...

Dina Carroll: Dina delivers the soul — Dina Carroll: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 12 November 1993

A triumphant London debut for Dina Carroll at the Hammersmith Apollo ...

Michael Bolton: The One Thing (Columbia 474355 2)

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 19 November 1993

THIS IS the album Meat Loaf would make if his taste ran to easy-listening pop rather than gothic rock. He and the astonishingly coiffed Bolton ...

Pop: March of the Modes

Comment by Jon Savage, The Guardian, 23 November 1993

THEY'RE AT it again. Yes, even here in the Guardian, the thirtysomething zombies, with their litany: Pop isn't what it used to be, there are ...

Paul Weller: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 24 November 1993

ANYONE WHO doubts that a little fatherhood can be a dangerous thing should have been at the first of Paul Weller's two sold-out London gigs. ...

Brian Eno: Eno's No Bounds

Interview by Jon Savage, The Guardian, 26 November 1993

Brian Eno used to wear leopard skin and make the synthesised squeaks and honks for Roxy Music. Now he's the venerable intellectual of pop ...

Wet Wet Wet: Sheffield Arena

Live Review by Simon Warner, The Guardian, 29 November 1993

THERE IS an honourable tradition of blue-eyed soul stretching from the Righteous Brothers to Hall & Oates and Stevie Winwood, yet if Wet Wet Wet ...

Sister Sledge, Tammy Wynette: Sister Sledge: Forum, London; Tammy Wynette: Palladium, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 30 November 1993

Standby your sisters: Revived seventies disco queens Sister Sledge and the First Lady of country music Tammy Wynette woo London ...

Diana Ross: Miss Ross the Boss

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 1 December 1993

Singer, actress, businesswoman — Diana Ross has always been in control in 30 years of show business ...

Ice Cube, Snoop (Doggy) Dogg: Snoop Doggy Dogg: Doggystyle (eastwest 654492279-2); Ice Cube: Lethal Injection (4th & Broadway BRCD 609)

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 3 December 1993

TWO DIFFERENT versions of the art of gangsta rap. Twenty-one-year-old Los Angeleno Snoop Doggy Dogg is about to make history by having his debut album ...

Pansy Division, RPLA, Sister George, Tongue Man: Queer to the core

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 17 December 1993

The pop establishment has always had a handful of gay stars — colourful, eccentric, lovable. But now there's 'queercore', a radical gay music movement with ...

Body Count, Ice-T: Ice hits meltdown — Ice-T & Body Count: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 27 December 1993

Macho rapper Ice-T goes all soft and squishy at Brixton Academy ...

The Cranberries, Elastica: Astoria 2, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 17 January 1994

AS LIMERICK pop quartet the Cranberries might warn London pop quartet Elastica, beware the tag Next Big Thing. The Irish band basked in that title ...

Carleen Anderson, Young Disciples: Carleen Anderson: Songs from the Soul

Interview by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 28 January 1994

Carleen Anderson has had a bitter, difficult life on both sides of the Atlantic. Now much of it features in her seductive, defiant music. ...

D:Ream: Metropolitan University, Leeds

Live Review by Simon Warner, The Guardian, 5 February 1994

THE EARLY weeks of this year have seen D:Ream catapulted from the lower reaches of the Top 30 to the pinnacle of the charts with ...

Snoop Doggy Dogg: Cocking a Leg at Society

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 12 February 1994

To Snoop Doggy Dogg, the hard man of rap, women are 'bitches' and 'niggaz with attitude' like him pack a pistol. CAROLINE SULLIVAN talked to ...

Cocteau Twins: The Cocteau Twins: Manchester Academy

Live Review by Simon Warner, The Guardian, 15 February 1994

THE CORE TRIO, more triplets than twins, have become weary of the media tag locating them as other-worldly beings, cult objects disconnected from the realities ...

Chaka Demus and Pliers: Chaka Demus & Pliers: Maestro's, Bradford

Live Review by Simon Warner, The Guardian, 10 March 1994

AFTER THE brooding intensity of Shabba Ranks and the controversies engulfing ragga and dancehall generally, it is easy to forget that while reggae has frequently ...

R Kelly: R. Kelly: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 14 March 1994

WITH RAP the genre of choice of so many young American black musicians, traditional soul looks endangered. Twenty five-year-old R Kelly offers one answer to ...

Soul Asylum: Town & Country Club, Leeds

Live Review by Simon Warner, The Guardian, 22 March 1994

A MERE six years ago, rock records accounted for half the world's popular music sales. Today the white, Anglo-American alliance has seen its market share ...

Marvin Gaye: The Ostend of the Road

Film/DVD/TV Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 28 March 1994

Arena's vivid documentary evokes Marvin Gaye's final years ...

Credit To The Nation: Rapped by Rappers

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 1 April 1994

Matty Hanson — aka Credit To The Nation's MC Fusion — has come under fire for his views on the values of gangsta rappers. Is ...

Charlatans, The (UK), Pulp, Tindersticks: Brash trash — The Charlatans, Pulp, Tindersticks: Sound City, The Tramway, Glasgow

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 6 April 1994

The Charlatans and Pulp play the opening night concert at Sound City in Glasgow ...

Primal Scream: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 12 April 1994

Retro-rockers Primal Scream play Brixton ...

Madder Rose: Astoria, London

Live Review by Andrew Smith, The Guardian, 13 April 1994

HENDRIX'S line, when tuning his instrument between songs, used to be, "Hey, only cowboys stay in tune." The post-grunge equivalent of this, as articulated by ...

Hole: Live Through This (City Slang EFA 04935)

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 15 April 1994

Love 'em or leave 'em ...

Kurt Cobain, Nirvana: Kurt Cobain: Sound of silence

Comment by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 18 April 1994

Adam Sweeting explains how the media didn't react to the significance of Kurt Cobain's death. ...

Pulp: Metropolitan University, Leeds

Live Review by Simon Warner, The Guardian, 29 April 1994

IN A MORE just world it would now be time to set aside the macho posturings of the rock burn-out and the dead-ends of the ...

Blur: The Blur of the moment

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 29 April 1994

After several false starts, Blur have got it right with their album Parklife, which is set to leap into the charts at number one. ...

Dr. Dre, The Lady of Rage, Snoop (Doggy) Dogg: Bark without bite — Snoop Doggy Dogg & Dr. Dre: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 2 May 1994

Snoop Doggy Dogg comes over like a pup at the Brixton Academy ...

Bikini Kill: Bikini Kill/Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah (Kill Rock Stars KRS204)

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 6 May 1994

THE BIGGEST act on this Washington label is these founding riot grrrls, whose first two mini-albums are re-released as a single tape/CD. The 32-minute running ...

Billy Joel: Earl's Court, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 9 May 1994

BILLY JOEL'S break-up with model Christie Brinkley has received more media coverage than anything he has done since he married her, so it was predictable ...

The Auteurs: Astoria 2, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 24 May 1994

THIS TIME last year, the pop press were grooming the Auteurs to be the next big thing. It didn't quite happen, and now, a good ...

Radiohead: Manchester University

Live Review by Simon Warner, The Guardian, 27 May 1994

"THERE ARE A LOT of people out there who want to tear us to pieces," Radiohead's vocalist Thom E. Yorke told the churning, cheering hordes ...

The Stone Roses: Stone Roses, phone home

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 31 May 1994

Their debut LP was one of the eighties' finest. Yet five years on we're still waiting for the follow-up. Whatever became of the Stone Roses? ...

Lush: Manchester University

Live Review by Simon Warner, The Guardian, 8 June 1994

CHALLENGED TO a drinking contest by their support band, noise merchants Blessed Ethel, Lush claimed they had chosen the easier option by returning to the ...

Brand New Heavies: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Andrew Smith, The Guardian, 23 June 1994

WHEN BRAND New Heavies lumbered on to the scene in 1988, few would have rated their chances of surviving into 1994, let alone of becoming ...

The Beastie Boys: Beastie work if you can get it

Profile by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 24 June 1994

After years in the doldrums the Beastie Boys are back-and packing out the Astoria ...

Diana Ross: NEC, Birmingham

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 27 June 1994

Diana Ross returns to celebrate a half-century, and a mysterious 30th anniversary, at Birmingham NEC ...

Johnny Cash: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 4 July 1994

"CAN YOU name anyone in this day and age who is as cool as Johnny Cash?", Rolling Stone magazine rhetorically asks. No one at this ...

Future Sound of London: London Calling

Interview by Andrew Smith, The Guardian, 8 July 1994

Two years ago Future Sound Of London changed the course of dance music. Now they are changing the way rock bands tour... ...

Galliano: Forum, London

Live Review by Andrew Smith, The Guardian, 15 July 1994

GALLIANO HAVE the knack of polarising opinion. On the one side, you have a public who have been drawn to the band's deeply hip fusion ...

Paul Oakenfold: Pick and Re-Mix

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 15 July 1994

Paul Oakenfold's new record has only his name on the cover. But he isn't a musician. He's the emperor of DJs ...

Chaka Demus and Pliers, General Levy: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 18 July 1994

THE RANKS of policemen who materialise outside Brixton Academy during shows by black artists were absent Friday night. Clearly, they had been informed that no ...

House Of Pain: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 1 August 1994

Pain, but no gain ...

Oasis: The Boys Are Back In Town

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 12 August 1994

Trashed hotels, fist fights, easy sex — Oasis have rediscovered rock's roots. They've also found the time to knock out a great tune ...

Prince: Come (Warner Bros 9362-45700-2)

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 12 August 1994

WE COULD be forgiven for assuming that Prince — or The Artist Formerly Known As Prince, as he's officially titled — is uninterested in subjects ...

Gender vendors

Comment by Jon Savage, The Guardian, 2 September 1994

From Pink Floyd to the pink pound, pop has provided a lifeline for the young to find heroes often denied a voice elsewhere ...

Jeff Buckley: The Garage, London

Live Review by Andrew Smith, The Guardian, 5 September 1994

AS JEFF Buckley ambled lugubriously on to the stage, the faces of pretty much everyone in the capacity crowd betrayed the same thought — "How ...

Kylie Minogue: Fever Kitsch

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 6 September 1994

From wholesome soap star to scantily clad sex kitten — Kylie Minogue has changed her image more times than she might care to remember. But ...

Blur, M People, Shara Nelson, Michael Nyman, The Prodigy, Pulp, Take That, Therapy?, Paul Weller: Now the Mercury rises

Report by Jon Savage, The Guardian, 16 September 1994

Jon Savage sees the north take its regional revenge ...

Blur, Pulp: Bedsitters' night out — Blur, Pulp: Alexandra Palace, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 10 October 1994

Minimalist pop has its day as Blur and Pulp share the bill at London's Alexandra Palace ...

Manic Street Preachers: Manchester Academy

Live Review by Simon Warner, The Guardian, 18 October 1994

IF EMPTY intellectualism has been etched on pop's calling card, there has always been the odd renegade determined to transform rock into an intelligent medium. ...

East 17, PJ & Duncan, Shampoo, Take That: The New Bottom Line

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 19 October 1994

There was a time when sex in pop meant a shuttlecock down the jeans. The days of innocence are over. The steam age has begun. ...

Green Day: Astoria, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 24 October 1994

US band Green Day sing of misery and hatred but, live at the Astoria, it's just one big party ...

Madonna: Not CD of the week: Madonna: Bedtime Stories (Maverick 9362-45767-2)

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 28 October 1994

"MAKING THIS album was a test of my sanity and stability," Madonna writes in the sleevenotes, admitting for the first time that she's not always ...

Bill Frisell Plays Buster Keaton: Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank, London

Preview by John L. Walters, The Guardian, 29 October 1994

Go West (1925), Sherlock Junior (1924), The High Sign (1921), One Week (1920). Wednesday November 2 1994, 7.30pm ...

Suede: Effete of Clay — Suede: City Hall, Hull

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 31 October 1994

Brett Anderson forsakes camp as Suede struggle to impress in Hull ...

Blur, Elastica: Blur: Blurred Vision

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 10 November 1994

They are the names on everyone's lips, the pop heroes from Essex. Blur are being mentioned in the same breath as The Beatles, and yesterday ...

How To Get Backstage

Guide by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 25 November 1994

Feeling brazen? Ready to crawl? Caroline Sullivan offers the definitive guide to bum-rushing the show ...

Beck: Manchester University

Live Review by Simon Warner, The Guardian, 28 November 1994

IS THIS the age of the neurotic self-obsessive? Sold out signs at Beck's debut UK gig suggest that his curious blend of twitchy unease and ...

Suicide: A Tribe Called Quest: Subterania, London

Live Review by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 3 December 1994

IN MANY ways. A Tribe Called Quest are one of hip-hop's best-kept secrets. Their debut album, People's Instinctive Travels... remains one of the defining moments ...

Gene, Salad: Astoria 2, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 5 December 1994

AT LEAST one man at this long-sold-out gig was there because he believed Gene's frontman, Martin Rossiter, to be the late actor Leonard's son. He ...

Bjorn Again, The Bootleg Beatles, Gary Glitter: Hark! The Faded Popsters Sing

Report and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 6 December 1994

As Christmas approaches, turkeys aren't the only ones preparing to hop into the silverfoil. Ageing pop stars too come out but once a year ...

Massive Attack: Haçienda, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 7 December 1994

MASSIVE ATTACK promised us a "multi-media experience" and, boy, they gave us one. The traditionally grey, post-modern confines of the Haçienda were swamped in camouflage ...

Blur: Lads and asses

Essay by Jon Savage, The Guardian, 16 December 1994

The media's love affair with football has spawned a huge culture industry. But is it to blame for the return of loutishness? ...

Manic Street Preachers: Bible Of Hate: Manic Street Preachers: The Astoria, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 21 December 1994

SINCE achieving cult fame in 1990, the Welsh quartet have preached nihilism juiced up with arty quotes from the Situationists and literary figures. The not-entirely-novel ...

Jodeci: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 16 January 1995

Hot crotch buns ...

Lisa Germano, Sarah McLachlan, Saint Etienne: Stalkers: Ever-Present Possessive

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 16 January 1995

Business is booming in the protection business. Now many of those being protected are women pop stars targeted by dangerous stalkers ...

Bettie Serveert, Jeff Buckley: Jeff Buckley, Bettie Serveert: Astoria 2, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 21 January 1995

WHEN JEFF Buckley's debut album, Grace, was released last year, it received ferocious acclaim and spawned a resurgence of interest in Jeff's folk singing father, ...

Sleeper: The Duchess, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 20 February 1995

A GREAT song and a video are no guarantee of credible pop success. It helps to have a Talking Point as well. No-one understands this ...

Seefeel, Spiritualized: Spiritualized, Seefeel: Shepherds Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Andrew Smith, The Guardian, 27 February 1995

THE GHOST of St Jimi must have been smiling: this was a good night for guitars. First, the London quartet Seefeel set about deconstructing the ...

PJ Harvey, Tricky: Red-blooded Chameleon — PJ Harvey, Tricky: Town & Country Club, London

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 8 March 1995

Enigmatic as ever, PJ Harvey returns in red satin and fine form, with Tricky in support ...

Barry White: Rising to the big occasion — Barry White: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 16 March 1995

Seventies legend Barry White has them swooning in the Wembley Arena aisles with his unique brand of bedroom soul ...

Simple Minds: Sheffield Arena

Live Review by Simon Warner, The Guardian, 23 March 1995

IT'S OFFICIAL. Rock, that huge, lumbering beast we thought had been exiled to the sports stadiums of the American Midwest, is alive and almost kicking, ...

Elastica: Under the Influence — Elastica: Sheffield University

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 27 March 1995

Elastica, the vanguard of the new new wave bands, smash and grab their way through classic punk pop in Sheffield ...

Kurt Cobain, Manic Street Preachers: Is This Music To Die For?

Report by Andrew Smith, The Guardian, 31 March 1995

AN ARTICLE in this week's Melody Maker describes some of the dozens of letters the paper has been receiving every week since Richey James's departure ...

Bush Telegraph

Report and Interview by Andrew Smith, The Guardian, 7 April 1995

How come an unknown British band are so big in the US? ...

The Boo Radleys: Irish Centre, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 7 April 1995

AS MUSIC biz jokes go, The Boo Radleys are a very, very good one. Formed in Liverpool in 1989, their topsy-turvy career (taking in baldness, ...

Janet Jackson: Platinum bland — Janet Jackson: London Arena, Millwall

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 10 April 1995

Janet Jackson's voice may be average, but her dancing is that of a well-drilled athlete ...

Jimmy Nail: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 15 April 1995

THIS ISN'T Jimmy Nail's First crack at rock stardom. In the seventies, the glowering Geordie was lead vocalist of a deservedly obscure punk group called ...

Oasis: Sheffield Arena

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 24 April 1995

Oasis play the rock 'n' roll game in a one-night stand at the Sheffield Arena. ...

Warren G: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 25 April 1995

OF THE adjectives applied to gangsta rappers, "endearing" is way down the list. Warren Griffin, the latest sensation from the wrong side of Long Beach, ...

Hole: Civic Hall, Wolverhampton

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 29 April 1995

In the name of Love: Caroline Sullivan on a stunning start to Hole's tour in Wolverhampton ...

Take That: Nobody Else (RCA)

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 5 May 1995

THE TEENY horrors' recent attempts to grow up have been partially successful; the newly-acquired dreadlocks are frightening rather than alluring, but their third album is ...

Grooverider, Moby, Orbital: Tribal and Strife

Report by Andrew Smith, The Guardian, 8 May 1995

The Criminal Justice Act put the rave under House arrest. But it's out and it's phat in Oxfordshire ...

Renegade Soundwave, Tricky: Tricky, Renegade Soundwave: The Grand, Clapham, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 15 May 1995

Cool, calm and very, very strange: Caroline Sullivan is haunted by Bristol rapper Tricky ...

East 17: Sheffield Arena

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 22 May 1995

Hormonesapoppin' as E17 storm the Sheffield Arena. No prisoners taken ...

Teenage Fanclub: Shepherd's Bush Empire

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 5 June 1995

YOU CAN tell a lot about a band from their choice of cover versions. As their tumultuous set rampaged to a close, Teenage Fanclub ripped ...

PJ Harvey: Queen of the Night: P.J. Harvey

Profile by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 12 June 1995

SHE’S TAKING America by storm. She’s very fashionable at the moment. She’s hipper than hip. That’s what Paul McGuinness says; he’s the manager of U2 ...

Therapy?: Town & Country Club, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 15 June 1995

Dahmer karma and splenetic rage ...

Bon Jovi: The Noisy American

Report and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 17 June 1995

Jon Bon Jovi was once the king of hairspray and spandex. Now he wants to be taken a lot more seriously. The hell-raising days are ...

Blur: Boys will be lads — Blur: Mile End Stadium, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 19 June 1995

A right old knees-up with Blur and their guests at Mile End ...

The Rolling Stones: Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 10 July 1995

Charlie upstages ye olde rock stars ...

Marianne Faithfull: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 July 1995

Better class of icon defies the years ...

Black Grape: Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 22 July 1995

BLACK GRAPE are currently the hottest new property in British rock. Even prior to their first single, acres of music press coverage had signalled the ...

R.E.M.: Cardiff Arms Park

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 24 July 1995

Invalids losing their direction ...

Take That: Then There Were Four — Take That: Manchester Arena

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 7 August 1995

Caroline Sullivan on how a Robbieless Take That fare at Manchester Arena ...

The Sex Pistols: Never Mind the TV Bollocks

Report by Jon Savage, The Guardian, 11 August 1995

Jon Savage mulls over the four-year struggle to put his definitive study of Punk, England's Dreaming, on television ...

Cynthia Plaster Caster: Come Up And See My, Er...

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 24 August 1995

Caroline Sullivan meets the woman who persuaded Jimi Hendrix to dip his erect member into a jar of gooey pink dental mould. ...

The Chemical Brothers: Rock Steady Dance Beat

Interview by Lisa Verrico, The Guardian, 25 August 1995

Who says dance and rock don't mix? Lisa Verrico talks to the Chemical Brothers — a DJ outfit who make it work ...

Foo Fighters: Academy, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 7 September 1995

Spooky survivor ...

Stereolab: Cockpit, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 28 September 1995

STEREOLAB have been on the verge of a major breakthrough for longer than Damon Hill. They've been steadfastly supported by music press darlings for the ...

Melissa Etheridge: One of the Boys

Interview by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 3 November 1995

As a woman, Melissa Etheridge’s success in the major league of American rock is remarkable, as an out lesbian it’s unique. Lucy O’Brien meets a ...

Juno Reactor: Goa Trance: Paradise Lost Can Be Regained

Report by Andrew Smith, The Guardian, 16 November 1995

Is a movement that started 12 years ago in a small south Indian state about to take over the British club scene? Andrew Smith chills ...

"Mad" Frankie Fraser: Criminal records

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 24 November 1995

Dave Simpson talks to former gangland killer turned recording artist 'Mad' Frankie Fraser about his foray into pop music ...

Blur: Time for the Blur to Fly — Blur: NEC Arena, Birmingham

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 27 November 1995

Blur a flagging, studenty band? Those memories are now long gone as screaming teenyboppers everywhere fight to hear their heroes ...

Take That, Robbie Williams: Robbie Williams: Take One New Man

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 15 December 1995

There is life after Take That. Robbie Williams, the lad who broke ranks (and rules), is growing up. Dave Simpson finds him talking politics, paparazzi ...

Therapy?: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 16 December 1995

The riot act, scene two ...

Beck

Interview by David Bennun, The Guardian, 1996

AT THE AGE OF 25, Beck Hansen has the air of a man who is surprised by nothing. Either that, or he is surprised by ...

Coolio: The Grand, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 5 January 1996

Gangsta takes rap to new level ...

Henry Rollins: Forum, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 8 January 1996

Monster made mellow: Caroline Sullivan wonders if mean rocker Henry Rollins can possibly be related to the loveable raconteur performing at the Forum ...

Joan Osborne: Borderline, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 23 January 1996

Meat and potato with little relish ...

Suede: Hanover Grand, London

Live Review by Susan Corrigan, The Guardian, 29 January 1996

Snarling back on to the scene ...

Melissa Etheridge: Shepherds Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 31 January 1996

Perky pioneer lacking magic ...

Placebo: Dingwalls, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 8 February 1996

A LITTLE gender-uncertainty never hurt any band, and it might prove the making of Placebo. The Swedish-American trio is fortunate in boasting a singer, Brian ...

Lou Reed: Walk on the Mild Side

Interview by Ian Penman, The Guardian, 16 February 1996

Lou Reed was the ultimate rock'n'roller who mimed shooting up on stage. Now he's clean and sober, but what kind of shape is his music ...

Pulp: Sorted for Kids — Pulp: Brighton Centre, Brighton

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 22 February 1996

In a police station one night, on stage the next, and the Pulp fans have never been happier. Caroline Sullivan reports ...

Supergrass: Bald truth, hairy moments — Supergrass: Apollo Theatre, Oxford

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 28 February 1996

Supergrass were named best new band at last week's Brit awards — but why? Noisy they may be, but subtle they're not. Caroline Sullivan went ...

Eternal: Apollo, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 6 March 1996

RECENT WARNINGS linking club-going to ear damage have got it all wrong. Never mind amplified Jungle or cranium-pounding dub, the real threat to the nation's ...

Lush: Brighton Beach, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 11 March 1996

Two trumps for a busted Lush ...

Bis: Sounds like teen spirit

Report and Interview by Susan Corrigan, The Guardian, 14 March 1996

Why would Top Of The Pops give space to a band without a record deal? And why is the band adamant it doesn't want one? ...

Album covers: New tricks up their sleeve

Interview by Susan Corrigan, The Guardian, 18 March 1996

The LP cover is once again regarded as an art form. Susan Corrigan meets the designer largely responsible ...

Mary J. Blige, Boyz II Men, R. Kelly, Teddy Riley: Andre Harrell: Resurrection of the Soul

Report and Interview by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 22 March 1996

Andre Harrell is a man with a mission. The youngest head of Motown since Berry Gordy, he tells Sean O'Hagan how he plans to put ...

Skunk Anansie: Skin Deep

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 23 April 1996

She has been described as Naomi Campbell crossed with Tank Girl, but is there more to the singer with Skunk Anansie than just good cheekbones? ...

k.d. lang: Academy, Birmingham

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 24 April 1996

A big-boned gal among friends ...

Oasis: Maine Road, Manchester

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 29 April 1996

Oasis promoted to relegation spot ...

Everything But The Girl: Walking Wounded (Virgin)****

Review by Sheryl Garratt, The Guardian, May 1996

ONCE KNOWN by cynics as Everything But A Laugh, Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn spent much of the Eighties exploring the lonely outer fringes of ...

Orbital: De Montfort University, Leicester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 11 May 1996

DANCE MUSIC is the most innovative genre around, but Orbital are leaving that behind. Six years on from their rave smash 'Chime', the Hartnolls' recent ...

Chris de Burgh: Hampton Court Palace, Surrey

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 18 June 1996

Chris de Burgh's banter saves the day at Hampton Court Palace, says Caroline Sullivan ...

808 State: Castlefield Amphitheatre, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 24 June 1996

THINK OF A free open-air gig on the first day of summer and you'd probably imagine hippies, loud rock music and lots of mud. All ...

Iggy Pop, Sex Pistols: Last of the Mohicans

Report by Susan Corrigan, The Guardian, 26 June 1996

On Sunday, the punks were rocking again. But what on earth were they wearing? ...

Damon Albarn, Blur: Blur: Meet Damon, The Poet

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 6 July 1996

Blur's Damon Albarn tells CAROLINE SULLIVAN he is tired of being a star, tired of Yob Pop and tired off feuding. That's why he's reading ...

Electronic: Why two's company

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 13 July 1996

Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr, two of the great icons of eighties pop, tell DAVE SIMPSON what keeps them going ...

Gary Barlow, Take That, Robbie Williams: Gary Barlow: Gary Takes it All

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 15 July 1996

The least fancied member of smash-hit boy band Take That was the one with the bona fide music training. Now, Gary Barlow is writing songs ...

The Eagles: McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 15 July 1996

IF YOU were wondering what happened to the British summer, then spare a thought for the residents of Hell, California, whose habitat has frozen over. ...

Bis, Sarah Cracknell, Elastica, Garbage, Shampoo, Sleeper: The Young Pretenders

Report by Susan Corrigan, The Guardian, 17 July 1996

Susan Corrigan talks to the teenagers with stars in their eyes. ...

Spice Girls: The Spice Girls: Girls Just Wanna Be Loaded

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 26 July 1996

LAST WEEK, the world was as it should have been. Gary Barlow was number one, the summer's foreign novelty hit, 'Macarena', was panting just behind ...

Drugs In Rock Culture: Don’t Try This At Home

Essay by Ian Penman, The Guardian, 2 August 1996

TAKING DRUGS CHANGES things. It changes your blood stream and brain waves and bank balance; your heart rate and slang of choice and the circumference ...

The Divine Comedy: York Hall Leisure Centre, Bethnal Green, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 12 August 1996

Divine, darling, simply Divine ...

Charlatans, The (UK), Oasis: Blue Tones — The Charlatans: Knebworth, Herfordshire

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 August 1996

The Charlatans must have dreamt of upstaging Oasis. At Knebworth, they almost did. But it came at a horrible price, says Caroline Sullivan ...

Lewis Taylor: Lewis Taylor (Island) **** £9.99

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 16 August 1996

BRITISH SOUL stars are invariably compared to some American counterpart. Mark Morrison is derided as an R Kelly imitator and Seal as a composite of ...

Michael Jackson: Look Who's Wearing Stalin's Shoes

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 7 September 1996

He's Bad, he's Dangerous, he's History... Wacko Jacko is invading Eastern Europe and showing what capitalism can do when it comes to the cult of ...

The Mercury Prize: Pulp Friction

Comment by Simon Frith, The Guardian, 13 September 1996

Tokenistic? Predictable? Ridiculous? Critics claim all three. Here, chairman of the judges Simon Frith defends the Mercury Music Prize. ...

Johnny Mathis: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 17 September 1996

Play Misty for us again, ole buddy ...

Camden Crawl: Take Me Home

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 21 September 1996

After Britpop, C96. Caroline Sullivan runs a marathon of new music in north London. ...

Metallica: Earl's Court, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 14 October 1996

Classic metal misfits spit out decibels of defiance at the venue from hell ...

Baby Bird: Ugly/Beautiful (Echo)

Review by David Bennun, The Guardian, 18 October 1996

This baby's got wings David Bennun celebrates a bedroom genius ...

The Fugees: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 21 October 1996

Incredibly hiphop: If the Fugees were any bigger, they'd explode. Caroline Sullivan finds out why ...

Andrea Parker: 'The Rocking Chair' (Mo' Wax EP)

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 25 October 1996

The chill factor: Dave Simpson enjoys a spooky orchestral set ...

The Chemical Brothers: The Chemistry Set — The Chemical Brothers: Academy, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 26 October 1996

Dave Simpson takes some Anadin with The Chemical Brothers ...

Snoop (Doggy) Dogg: Snoop Doggy Dogg

Profile and Interview by David Bennun, The Guardian, November 1996

"I'M GONNA live forever," says the man slumped in the chair opposite, his voice so soft it's barely more than a mumble. Nobody has ever ...

The Beautiful South: Zipless anoraks — The Beautiful South: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 2 November 1996

Their new album may have screamed in at number one but The Beautiful South are lousy live, says Caroline Sullivan ...

Erasure: Town & Country, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 6 November 1996

SIZE IS everything in Erasure pop world. For their last tour, they put on one of the biggest shows on earth, a theatrical triumph of ...

The Lightning Seeds: Ian Broudie: Number One Seed

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 11 November 1996

Ian Broudie is responsible for some of the most enduring pop music of the decade. So what's his excuse for making that football record, asks ...

Def Leppard: Sheffield Arena

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 15 November 1996

Rusty metal with extra irony ...

David Bowie: The Chameleon

Overview by Ian Penman, The Guardian, 27 November 1996

David Jones... Major Tom... Ziggy... will the real David Bowie ever stand up? And can the quick-change act disguise the fact that it's been 20 ...

Sting: Sheffield Arena

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 30 November 1996

Great rocker, poor jazzer. Dave Simpson catches Sting in Sheffield ...

Sleeper: Town & Country, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 11 December 1996

LOUISE Wener is a curious phenomenon. Hers is the face that has launched a thousand front covers; her sharp tongue has spawned a million "quotable ...

Neneh Cherry: Cherry Picker — Neneh Cherry: Shepherds Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 12 December 1996

Caroline Sullivan on the sultry charms of Neneh Cherry at Shepherds Bush Empire ...

Kurt Cobain, Bob Marley & the Wailers, Elvis Presley, Thin Lizzy, Sid Vicious: Mummy's Little Rock'n'Roll Soldier

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 16 December 1996

They're mad, bad and dangerous to know, and the apple of their mothers eyes. Caroline Sullivan examines the closest of all relationships... ...

Nirvana, Oasis, Pulp, Sex Pistols: True Brits

Interview by Jon Savage, The Guardian, 20 December 1996

A young New York painter looks like becoming "the first artist of Britpop". Jon Savage on how Elizabeth Peyton's portraits of Jarvis, Liam and Noel ...

East 17: Sheffield Arena

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 21 December 1996

Rumours of East going west fuel night of confusion and great pop ...

Townes Van Zandt: Keeping Quiet For The Sake Of A Song: Townes Van Zandt 1944-1997

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, January 1997

OTHER MUSICIANS revered Texan song writer Townes Van Zandt who has died of a heart attack aged 52, but he made real efforts, helped by ...

Kula Shaker: Abandon dope all ye who entertain

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 20 January 1997

Toff rockers Kula Shaker got away with telling fans to take lots of drugs; East 17's Essex boy Brian Harvey was crucified. That's pop, says ...

Elvis Presley: 25% Of The King: Col. Tom Parker

Obituary by Michael Gray, The Guardian, 23 January 1997

COLONEL TOM PARKER, the flamboyant tent-show hustler who was Elvis Presley's Svengalian manager, has died in Las Vegas at the age of almost 90. He ...

The Associates, Billy Mackenzie: Billy Mackenzie: Pop's Great Outsider

Obituary by Paul Morley, The Guardian, 27 January 1997

AN ANARCHIC Bassey, a sinister Pavarotti, a monstrous madcap Bowie, even when he was at his most obscure, his most difficult and extreme, there was ...

The Beatles: The Sound of Acid

Overview by Jon Savage, The Guardian, 31 January 1997

Hey man — it's time to beat that cosmic tabla and slap on a droning tape loop. Drug-infused psychedelia, says Jon Savage, never went away ...

Placebo: Octagon, Sheffield

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 15 February 1997

High on the Placebo effect ...

Ash: The Astoria, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 3 March 1997

Boys enjoy early night ...

Mansun: Brighton Beach, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 12 March 1997

ONCE UPON a time, modernists (ha!) fought running battles with rockers along the seafront at Brighton; now their descendants congregate at Brighton Beach in, um, ...

James: Wrinklie riot — James: Town & Country, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 15 March 1997

The fans are older, their knees are shot and they can't dance any more (if they ever could) Dave Simpson joins James's sell-out tour ...

Peter Andre: Fairfield Halls, Croydon

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 22 March 1997

And it's one for the tummy  Caroline Sullivan gets all worked up about Peter Andre   ...

The Divine Comedy: Royal Festival Hall, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 29 March 1997

Kitschy coup: Few pop musicians could carry it off, but Divine Comedy's orchestral manoeuvres impress Caroline Sullivan ...

The Congos, Dr. Alimantado, Bob Marley & the Wailers, Junior Murvin, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Max Romeo and the Upsetters: Lee "Scratch" Perry: Scratch'n'mix

Retrospective by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 18 April 1997

Lee "Scratch" Perry may not have invented dub, but, says Sean O'Hagan, he is its one auteur — his influence can be heard from trip-hop ...

Nico, The Velvet Underground: Name Game: Billy Name

Interview by Jon Savage, The Guardian, 25 April 1997

At Andy Warhol's Factory everybody wanted to be a star. Everyone except Billy Name. He designed the Factory, curated it, soothed the egos of Warhol's ...

Sinead O'Connor: An Inconvenient Woman: Sinead O’Connor

Profile and Interview by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 26 April 1997

Sinead O’Connor bothers people. American audiences were outraged when she shunned their national anthem, the pop establishment was vindictive when she refused a Brit, and ...

Supergrass: Town & Country Club, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 9 May 1997

Just Alright on the night ...

Jonny Lang: Hanson: The little brat pack

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 30 May 1997

They're too young to drink at their own gigs. But Hanson are coming, and so is a new wave of pubescent poppers. Caroline Sullivan meets ...

David Bowie: Hanover Grand, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 4 June 1997

Bowie wants to meet his public so he plays a small London club – heaven or what? Some fans paid 100 pounds for a ticket. ...

U2: Pop Smart

Comment by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 13 June 1997

U2 are that rarity, a clever rock band. So why do the English press hate them? By Sean O'Hagan ...

Massive Attack, Radiohead: Radiohead, Massive Attack: RDS Arena, Dublin

Live Review by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 23 June 1997

Storming through the downpour ...

Blur, Oasis, The Stone Roses, Paul Weller: Brit Pop: The Boys Club

Essay by Jon Savage, The Guardian, 4 July 1997

Pop music is booming, right? British bands are taking over the world, right? Wrong. The yobbish lads of Brit rock are about to hit the ...

The Jesus & Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, Oasis, Primal Scream: Alan McGee: The father of Creation

Profile and Interview by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 5 July 1997

Hedonism was a way of life for Alan McGee. And who would expect anything less from the man behind Oasis? But the road to pop-tycoon ...

Soul Coughing: Fleece and Firkin, Bristol

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 19 July 1997

Mr Weird and Mr Wonderful Caroline Sullivan chills out with the coolest singers from the States ...

Soul Coughing: Irresistible Bliss (London) £14.99 *****

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 1 August 1997

Caroline Sullivan is completely blissed out ...

Paul Weller: Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 4 August 1997

Pub rock without the pub ...

Morrissey: Maladjusted (Island) ** £14.99

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 8 August 1997

Nine self-pitying, lachrymose albums in a row — isn't it time Morrissey grew up? ...

The Verve: Academy, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 16 August 1997

Dave Simpson witnesses the miracle works of Richard Ashcroft, reunited with the apostles of The Verve ...

U2: Wembley Stadium, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 23 August 1997

Bono and Co go big, only to come up with a lemon ...

Dave Godin: He's a Soul Man

Profile and Interview by Jon Savage, The Guardian, 12 September 1997

Dave Godin rubbed shoulders with Motown's greats and brought us black American music. But, says Jon Savage, his great achievement was creating northern soul ...

Oasis: Westpoint Arena, Exeter

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 15 September 1997

Radical move to symbolism-uh! as Oasis tour goes Pink Floyd ...

The Fall: Mark E. Smith: By Gum, it's Mr Grumpy

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 22 September 1997

He's getting old and his teeth are falling out, but The Fall's Mark E. Smith is as fresh as ever, says Caroline Sullivan. ...

Monaco: Astoria, London

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 23 September 1997

THERE'S A current joke that goes "Why haven't New Order spawned a tribute group? Because Peter Hook got there first." Boom boom, and indeed, booming ...

Drop The Dread, Honky: Why White Artists Wanna Be Black

Essay by James Maycock, The Guardian, October 1997

IN 1959, JOHN Howard Griffin, a white journalist, dyed his skin black and travelled through the southern states of America. He found the experience ...

Portishead: Dread again — Portishead: Portishead (Go! Beat) *****

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 3 October 1997

If Portishead's first album spooked you out, their second one will really get to you, says Caroline Sullivan ...

Robbie Williams: The Show-Off Must Go On — Robbie Williams: The Waterfront, Norwich

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 4 October 1997

Robbie Williams doesn't need to get his kit off to impress, says Caroline Sullivan ...

Whitesnake: End of an earache — Whitesnake: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 11 October 1997

Hang up your air guitars: Whitesnake will rock no more. Caroline Sullivan is oddly moved ...

Louise: The Girl Next Door

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 October 1997

She is currently the UK's most successful female singer, she has been voted one of the sexiest women in the world, she even has a ...

Spice Girls: The Spice Girls: Abdi İpekçi Arena, Istanbul, Turkey

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 October 1997

Oriental Spice: Sponsor power, not bazaars, draws the Girls to Turkey ...

Five: Boys Will Be Boys Bands

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 18 October 1997

You've never heard of Five. The Spice Girls' inventors will make sure you do. Caroline Sullivan reports ...

Jewel: Daddy cruel — Jewel: Bloomsbury Theatre, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 21 October 1997

For a while on stage, Jewel exudes vulnerability. Then she tells you she wants to bash her father's teeth in. CAROLINE SULLIVAN reports ...

Peter Andre: Putting Away the Six-Pack

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 31 October 1997

With his doe eyes and firm stomach, Peter Andre was a classic teenybop chart success. Now he's set on R&B cred, and has some impressive ...

Spice Girls: The new product — Spice Girls: Spiceworld (Virgin) ***

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 31 October 1997

Between the T-shirts, mugs, movies, dolls and video games, the Spice Girls have put out a new album. Caroline Sullivan didn't hate it... ...

AC/DC: Bonfire

Review by David Bennun, The Guardian, November 1997

THE LATE '70s and early '80s were bleak years for rock, and most other things besides. One of those moments in history which seem to ...

King Tubby, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Yabby You: Blood And Fire Records: Simply Dread

Report and Interview by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 7 November 1997

Mick Hucknall's devotion to the pioneers of dub and lovers' rock led him to form Blood And Fire records. Sean O'Hagan salutes them ...

Björk: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 15 November 1997

Iceland's icon scares the hell out of Caroline Sullivan at the Shepherd's Bush Empire. ...

Mary J. Blige: Mary J Blige: From the Bronx to the Big Time

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 18 November 1997

Caroline Sullivan has an audience with Mary J Blige, queen of hip hop soul ...

Black Grape: Leicester Arena

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 24 November 1997

WHEN SHAUN Ryder recently sang Black Grape's comeback hit 'Get Higher', he no doubt afforded himself a mischievous grin. For years, Ryder was the dark ...

Beth Orton: A Kinky Disco Kid

Interview by Sheryl Garratt, The Guardian, 28 November 1997

Singer Beth Orton shrugged off the tragedies of her youth and was inspired by acid house to mix folk with breakbeats. Sheryl Garratt hears how ...

M People: Just Pedestrian — M People, Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 29 November 1997

M People may do a lot for Peugeot, but Caroline Sullivan is not moved ...

Bush, Madonna, Gwen Stefani: For the Love of Blighty

Report by Susan Corrigan, The Guardian, 1 December 1997

Coming soon to a suburb near you: Madonna. Susan Corrigan reports on a transatlantic affair ...

Jamiroquai: Battersea Power Station, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 16 December 1997

ON THE face of it, Jamiroquai are an unlikely group to excite the passions they do. Singer Jason "Jay" Kay is the only member familiar ...

Robert Palmer

Obituary by Michael Gray, The Guardian, 17 December 1997

ROBERT PALMER, THE distinguished American music journalist and blues expert, has died in New York aged 52. ...

Spice Girls: Spice: The Final Frontier

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 19 December 1997

The tabloids have turned on them, their fans are leaving them — even Smash Hits readers voted them Worst Group. Is this the end for ...

Frank Sinatra: Nelson Algren's The Man With The Golden Arm

Retrospective by James Maycock, The Guardian, 1998

How Nelson Algren's acclaimed novel was made into Hollywood's first film about heroin. ...

Hip-Hop: Puppets On A String?

Essay by James Maycock, The Guardian, January 1998

How & Why Black Rappers Exploit Racial Stereotypes (With references to historical precedents through 20th century) ...

Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Take That, Robbie Williams: Take That: That Was Then, This Is Now

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 14 January 1998

Two years after the split, the Take That boys are more famous than ever — and no longer just for the excesses of Robbie Williams. ...

Barry Manilow: Barry Glitter — Barry Manilow: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 24 January 1998

Could it be magic? When Mr Manilow sings, grannies swoon, moan, even storm the stage. Caroline Sullivan knows just how they feel ...

Mark Hollis: Mark Hollis

Review by David Bennun, The Guardian, February 1998

FROM 1980S synth-pop with Talk Talk, Mark Hollis is now a solo artist of rare contemplation… It's all gone quiet over here. Mark Hollis has ...

The Beastie Boys, Money Mark: Money Mark: On the money

Interview by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 13 February 1998

There he was, fixing a gate — when along came a Beastie Boy. Tom Cox on the keyboard capers of the man who was nearly ...

Bernard Butler: Upstairs at the Garage, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 11 March 1998

Young pretender goes it alone ...

Blur, Oasis: Labour's Love Lost

Comment by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 13 March 1998

According to this week's NME, the honeymoon between pop and the Government is well and truly over. Sean O'Hagan isn't surprised ...

Kylie Minogue: Kylie Minogue (deConstruction) *** £15.99

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 20 March 1998

Caroline Sullivan on the latest from the former pop kitten who's moving ever closer to that elusive musical maturity ...

Darren Day, Martine McCutcheon: Martine McCutcheon, Darren Day, Royal Philharmonic: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 26 March 1998

'Ere, ducks, give that girl an Oscar ...

Pulp: "Nice one, Jarvis!"

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 27 March 1998

Jarvis Cocker, latter-day folk hero, talks to Caroline Sullivan ...

James: Manchester Apollo

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, April 1998

ONCE UPON a time, when James performed their most famous song 'Sit Down', whole audiences would do just that. Nowadays it's tempting to suggest the ...

Pete Seeger: Flower father

Interview by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 3 April 1998

A new tribute CD confirms folk singer Pete Seeger as the patron saint of hippy radicals — and he still hasn't lost hope. ...

Jurassic 5: Jurassic 5 (Pan)

Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, May 1998

Back to skool: Tom Cox pays attention at the back as hip-hop gets a lesson in positivity ...

Garbage: Trash Aesthetics

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 1 May 1998

'Only Happy When It Rains', 'Queer', 'Subhuman'. And those are just the titles of Garbage's harrowing songs. Caroline Sullivan on a band with a troubled ...

Jeff Buckley: Grace under fire

Retrospective by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 1 May 1998

Singer Jeff Buckley lived in the shadow of his father Tim's death. Dave Simpson remembers meeting the visionary of pain and loss, and hears the ...

Gomez: Dingwalls, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 2 May 1998

Bodysnatchers play the blues ...

Ian Brown, The Stone Roses: Ian Brown: Stone crazy

Report by Jon Savage, The Guardian, 14 May 1998

Ian Brown, former singer in the Stone Roses, has caused a storm in the music press by comparing homosexuals to Nazis. Jon Savage wants to ...

Saint Etienne: Garage, Glasgow

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 14 May 1998

IN THEIR perfect world, Saint Etienne's new album, Good Humor, would be battling it out with the Beatles and the Prodigy. The Prodigy? Yes, because ...

Boyzone Stories

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 15 May 1998

What's next for the Irish boy band now that their main heart-throb has got married? Caroline Sullivantalks to Ronan Keating about pop, faith and a ...

Super Furry Animals: A furry good year

Interview by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 22 May 1998

The marauding Welsh techno-popsters are touring with a Spinal Tap-scale set and making records like there's no tomorrow. Tom Cox meets the Super Furry Animals. ...

Tricky: The Forum, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 22 May 1998

Choking on his own venom ...

Robbie Williams: Apollo, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 28 May 1998

HE LIVES under the gaze of photographers; he's had public battles with fluctuating weight and unfeasible hairstyles; he's slaughtered by the press if he nips ...

Shirley Bassey: A Real Big Splendour — Shirley Bassey: Royal Festival Hall, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 June 1998

Only one woman can out-oomph Diana Ross. Caroline Sullivan salutes Shirley Bassey ...

Kula Shaker, John Lennon, Madonna, Paul McCartney, Gary Numan, Oasis, Elvis Presley, Pulp, Spice Girls, Sid Vicious: Mum's the word

Overview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 15 June 1998

They maybe rock icons, mad, bad and dangerous to know. But somewhere, some long-suffering woman remembers them in nappies. Caroline Sullivan on that great institution, ...

Hanson: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 17 June 1998

Teen hearts throb with teen music ...

Dana International: (Wo)man of the Summer: Dana International

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 26 June 1998

Caroline Sullivan gets past the girl talk with Eurovision winner Dana International ...

Embrace: These charming men — Embrace: Limelight, Belfast

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 27 June 1998

Two brothers, one hell of a sound. Dave Simpson salutes Embrace, Huddersfield's Oasis ...

Glastonbury: Pop Feast Kicked Off By Football

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 29 June 1998

Caroline Sullivan sorts fab from drab ...

Tupac Shakur: Afeni Shakur: The Kick Inside

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 1 July 1998

It is two years since gangsta rapper Tupac Shakur's short life ended in a hail of bullets. Caroline Sullivan talks exclusively to his mother about ...

The Beastie Boys: Beastie Boys: Hello Nasty (Grand Royal)

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 3 July 1998

Sick of introspective rock? Pining for the time when hip-hop was fun? So are the Beastie Boys. Caroline Sullivan fights for her right to party ...

Mark Lanegan: Scraps At Midnight (Beggars Banquet)

Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 3 July 1998

Hard chimes: Tom Cox on a brooding, rumbling lone star ...

Whitney Houston: Nynex, Manchester

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 11 July 1998

This town ain't hot enough... ...

The Jungle Brothers: Jungle Brothers: Straight Out Of The Jungle (Gee Street)

Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 17 July 1998

BROOKLYN'S JUNGLE Brothers release great albums which no one buys and mediocre remixes which sell by the skipfull. ...

Morrissey: Heaven knows he's miserable now...

Report and Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 17 July 1998

He lives with his mum, he's been dumped by his label and he's going to court. Finally, Morrissey really has something to be fed up ...

Pulp: Finsbury Park, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 27 July 1998

"IS THIS the way they say the future's meant to feel?" asked Jarvis Cocker as his hands, seemingly independent of the rest of his body, ...

Rufus Wainwright: Raise the Rufus

Profile and Interview by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 7 August 1998

The son of Loudon Wainwright III, this melodramatic young folk singer might be the next Jeff Buckley. Tom Cox meets him ...

Rock'n'roll Infanticide

Essay by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 7 August 1998

Pop is on sick leave because the nation's youth hasn't done its music homework. Tom Cox tells aspiring young bands to nab their parent's record ...

Kylie Minogue: Little Miss Boomerang

Profile and Interview by Sheryl Garratt, The Guardian, 8 August 1998

Kylie Minogue has probably had more brickbats than bouquets since she quit soap stardom to become a pop singer. But, with a new record in ...

The Divine Comedy: Funny peculiar

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 14 August 1998

Neil Hannon, aka the Divine Comedy, belongs in the last century, says Caroline Sullivan — the man who penned the Father Ted theme tune is ...

Baby Bird: There's Something Going On (Echo) **

Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 28 August 1998

Toxic wasteland: the new Babybird has Tom Cox reaching for the sickbag ...

Larry Graham, Chaka Khan, Prince: Stropping and Funking — Prince, Chaka Khan, Larry Graham: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 29 August 1998

The Artist Formerly Known As Prince did his best to stop Caroline Sullivan seeing his Wembley gig. When she sneaked her way in, this is ...

The Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers, International Submarine Band, Gram Parsons: Gram Parsons: Another Country

Retrospective by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 12 September 1998

Twenty-five years ago, Gram Parsons died in a remote desert motel, the victim of a prodigious appetite for drugs and alcohol that shocked even Keith ...

Burt Bacharach, Elvis Costello: Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello: Kings of America

Interview by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 19 September 1998

Burt Bacharach had his first hit when Elvis Costello was in short trousers. Costello had hits of his own when Bacharach's star was waning. Now, ...

Mercury Rev: Calm after the storm

Interview by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 2 October 1998

Tom Cox meets a bunch of animal-loving weirdos who have made a mind-boggling new album ...

Mobo Workin'

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 9 October 1998

The Music Of Black Origin awards are now pop's trendiest bash, reflecting the dominant R&B influence in the charts. ...

Kenickie: The Rocket, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 10 October 1998

Kenickie's in a twist ...

The Cure, Hole: Hole, The Cure: The Forum, London ***

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 October 1998

WELL, IT'S one way of getting a rock critic out of the house. Just tell her a big band is going to make a secret ...

Ash: Civic Hall, Guildford

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 14 October 1998

GOING BY the number of teenage lovelies in the Civic Hall ladies' loo, Ash are hot with the girls of Guildford. Maybe it's just that ...

Calexico, Neal Casal, Golden Smog, Hazeldine, The Jayhawks, Lambchop, Gram Parsons, Jim White: "Alternative country is what punks play when they grow up..."

Overview by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 16 October 1998

Tom Cox on the new bands that are making country music sexy ...

Fatboy Slim: You've Come A Long Way, Baby (Skint)

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 16 October 1998

Big beats, monster choons — Norman Cook refuses to alter a chart-busting formula, says Caroline Sullivan ...

Full Circle

Report by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 20 October 1998

In one of the most startling comebacks in music history, Tom Cox is delighted to find that sales of turntables and crackly old vinyl records ...

Alanis Morissette: Not CD of the Week — Alanis Morissette: Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie (Maverick)

Review by Sheryl Garratt, The Guardian, 30 October 1998

OH STOP MOANING Sheryl Garratt finds pain but no gain in a wallowing follow-up album ...

A&R Men: Where's the Bar?

Report and Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 6 November 1998

They're narcissistic coke fiends with no interest in music, or so the legend goes — yet A&R men shape the future of pop. Surely, asks ...

Jools Holland, Squeeze: Jools Holland: Coolest cat on the tube

Profile and Interview by Sheryl Garratt, The Guardian, 7 November 1998

He's played piano with BB King and learned chords from Ruben Gonzalez — but deep down he's a rock 'n' roller who likes his nan's ...

Natalie Imbruglia: Natalie lmbruglia: Apollo, Manchester ***

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 10 November 1998

IF ANYONE doubts the thespian talents of Neighbours, they should look at Natalie lmbruglia. While her displays as Beth were hampered by scripts and career-threatening ...

Marc Bolan, Rolan Bolan, Gloria Jones: When Marc Bolan died, pop lost its brightest star. This man lost his daddy

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 18 November 1998

Now Rolan Bolan is making his own bid for fame. Caroline Sullivan met him ...

Lucinda Williams: Small town fireworks

Interview by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 27 November 1998

Three parts honey, two parts bourbon — the road-movie songs of folk-rocker Lucinda Williams have been hugely influential over the past 20 years, and a ...

Sepultura, Slayer: Metal mickey — Slayer, Sepultura: Astoria, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 28 November 1998

Sepultura and Slayer? Caroline Sullivan can't take it seriously ...

The La's: Lee Mavers: The Lost Boy

Report and Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 5 December 1998

Lee Mavers of the La's was a star in the early nineties and idolised by Oasis. Then he fell foul of drugs and disappeared. Amid ...

Massive Attack: London Arena, Millwall, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 7 December 1998

Chilled-out prog hop struggling in a massive arena ...

The Beatles: "No one else had the flair, the panache, the wit that Brian had," says Paul McCartney. So why did he die miserably and alone?

Retrospective by Jon Savage, The Guardian, 18 December 1998

Jon Savage describes how Brian Epstein fell victim to drugs and the pressures of being a secret homosexual. ...

Rock’n’Role: Are Singers The New Feminist Icons?

Overview by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 21 December 1998

IN THE US, they call it the Third Wave – a new feminism for a new generation. It is fuelled by popular culture in general ...

Bryan Maclean — obituary

Obituary by John Tobler, The Guardian, 2 January 1999

LOVE ON THE EDGE with the beautiful people ...

Mercury Rev: Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 14 January 1999

IF YOU'VE chanced upon the term 'post-rock' and wondered what it meant, refer to Mercury Rev, who — at a guess — are the very ...

Black Star Liner: Bengali Bantam Youth Experience! (WEA)

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 29 January 1999

Dave Simpson adores Black Star Liner's mix of Bollywood soundtracks and skyscraping dance beats ...

The Band, The Beatles, Gene Clark, Nick Drake, George Harrison, Curtis Mayfield, Todd Rundgren, Tom Waits: The alternative top 10

Guide by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 29 January 1999

1 Nick Drake Bryter Layter (Island, 1970) ...

Miles Davis, Billie Holiday: Billie 4 Miles: A Kind Of Blue Love

Essay by James Maycock, The Guardian, February 1999

MILES DAVIS CONFESSED twice in his candid autobiography he fancied Billie Holiday. "She had such a sensuous mouth," he remarked, "I thought she was not ...

Underworld

Retrospective and Interview by David Bennun, The Guardian, February 1999

AS LOW POINTS go, this one was not merely a dip in life's road. It was a chasm. A gorge. A bloody great sheer-sided canyon. ...

Bonnie "Prince" Billy: The great pretender — Bonnie "Prince" Billy: Water Rats, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 6 February 1999

Caroline Sullivan knows one thing about Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. He's common ...

Lauryn Hill: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 8 February 1999

When Lauryn Hill played Brixton, it looked like the venue was braced for a riot. But the only rampaging mob was on stage. Caroline Sullivan ...

Terrorvision: Parr Hall, Warrington ****

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 10 February 1999

THE ROCK scene is currently as serious as a pub that's running low on booze. Oasis, The Verve and Pulp are the loudly-voiced Men At ...

Fatboy Slim: Norman Conquest

Profile and Interview by David Bennun, The Guardian, 12 February 1999

At his lowest ebb, Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim, nearly jacked it in to be a fireman. Now he's a chart-topper with a clutch of ...

Robbie Williams: Sheffield Arena

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 16 February 1999

If the flat cap fits: is Robbie Williams the new Arthur Askey, asks Caroline Sullivan ...

Blur: 13

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 5 March 1999

Down and outstanding ...

Orbital: Town & Country Club, Leeds ***

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 22 March 1999

IS IT REALLY 11 years since acid house? Yup, the members of the Class Of '88 haven't reached for their pipe and slippers yet, but ...

Catatonia At The Brixton Academy

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 23 March 1999

'EVERY MORNING when I wake up, I thank the Lord I'm Welsh,' sings Catatonia's Cerys Matthews, and 3,000 people sing it back to her, voices ...

Martine McCutcheon, Barbara Windsor: Albert Square dancing

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 26 March 1999

EastEnders is having a right old knees-up at the moment. Caroline Sullivan talks to Martine McCutcheon about her million pound record deal and, below, finds ...

S Club 7: Warning: They're Part Spice Girl, Part Monkee...

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 8 April 1999

Seen the show, read the book, got the T-shirt? You soon will have. Caroline Sullivan prepares for S Club 7, coming to your TV screen ...

The Cranberries: Why, why, why, Dolores? The Cranberries: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 14 April 1999

Sure, Cranberries lead singer Dolores O'Riordan has a great voice — but that's no reason to marginalise the rest of the band, says Caroline Sullivan ...

Tom Waits: Mule Variations (Epitaph)

Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 16 April 1999

I'D HATE TO be the neighbourhood psycho on Tom Waits's street. You'd never quite feel safe, terrorised by those all-seeing, scarecrow eyes, observing your every ...

All Saints: Saints Preserve Us

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 23 April 1999

All Saints keep marching on as Girl Power's most credible models. They talk to Caroline Sullivan about the good side of being bad ...

Chrissie Hynde, The Pretenders: Chrissie Hynde: The Great Pretender

Interview by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 27 April 1999

CHRISSIE HYNDE, wild woman of rock, sits in a private members' club in London's Portman Square in a finely tailored pinstripe suit. Despite the elegance ...

Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, The Sugarhill Gang: Good Boys Of Rap

Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 30 April 1999

Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five And Melle Mel: 'Adventures On The Wheels Of Steel' (Sequel)The Sugarhill Gang: Rapper's Delights (Sequel)Various Artists: Sugarhill Club Classics ...

Suede: Glorious Kinky

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 30 April 1999

It is ten years since Suede released their seminal debut album. Caroline Sullivan meets one of the most influential bands of the nineties ...

Moby: Grow out the roots — Moby: Play (Mute) ****

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 14 May 1999

Dave Simpson on Moby's return to what he does best ...

Ralph McTell: Streets of Melton Mowbray: Ralph McTell

Report and Interview by Andy Farquarson, The Guardian, 14 May 1999

MELTON MOWBRAY isn't the most obvious place to search for heroes, treasure and sentimental stories. But all three are here tonight somewhere. ...

Rufus Wainwright: Embassy Rooms, London ****

Live Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 21 May 1999

And mother came too ...

Steve Earle, The Del McCoury Band: Steve Earle And The Del McCoury Band: Royal Festival Hall, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 25 May 1999

MOST OF THE FIRST HALF of Steve Earle's three-hour performance was dedicated to the expert bluegrass voicings of the Del McCoury Band, who backed Earle ...

Ike Turner, Ike & Tina Turner: Ike Turner: What Love Had To Do With It

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 26 May 1999

Ike Turner last spoke to his ex-wife Tina in 1986. Since then, he tells Caroline Sullivan, he's taken too much flak ...

Gay Dad: Leisurenoise (London)

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 28 May 1999

Hyped to the hilt, Gay Dad's album isn't worth the wait, says Dave Simpson ...

The Bay City Rollers: Standing the Butt-Test of Time

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 29 May 1999

The Bay City Rollers were the Boyzone of their day — only bigger. And their fans, including Caroline Sullivan, still pay homage ...

Catatonia: Glowing In The Dark

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 31 May 1999

RED DRAGON flags, rugby shirts and the strains of 'Road Rage' drifting across the moist night air — it could only be Wales's second-biggest band ...

Brandy: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 1 June 1999

Icy cool, but no fizz ...

Cotton Mather: Dingwalls, London

Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 3 June 1999

Absolutely Fabs ...

The Chemical Brothers: Beat generation

Interview by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 12 June 1999

The Chemical Brothers are the Clark Kents of dance music — mild-mannered and thoughtful in private, impossibly fast, pile-drivingly powerful on stage. So how did ...

Shack: All You Need is Love

Interview by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 14 June 1999

Tom Cox finds the Head brothers of Shack in Liverpool — but spiritually, they're in Los Angeles, circa 1967 ...

The Chemical Brothers: Chemical Brothers: Surrender

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 18 June 1999

THIS ALBUM SOUNDS like the Chemical Brothers threw one hell of a party. Banging on the door with 'Let Forever Be', in his first dalliance ...

Kristin Hersh: Borderline, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 19 June 1999

IN THE SPHERE OF ROCK-AS-PSYCHOTHERAPY, Kristin Hersh has few peers. Now a decade and a half into her career, she first established herself with the ...

Backstreet Boys: Earl's Court, London **

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 21 June 1999

IT'S A DEPRESSING thought, but the Backstreet Boys have a strong claim to being the most popular group in the world right now. Although no ...

Gomez: Eclectic Avenue

Interview by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 25 June 1999

Gomez may have won the Mercury Music Prize, but they're not your typical hard-living rock stars. Tom Cox meets the broadest minds in the business ...

Gary Barlow: Stronger, Faster, Better — and Taller

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 2 July 1999

Gary Barlow may have been upstaged by the success of his former Take That colleague. Then again, says Caroline Sullivan, Robbie can't fly ...

Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin: Ifs and Butts: discs from Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 2 July 1999

As Latino pop looks set to take over the charts, Caroline Sullivan is only mildly impressed by the two artists leading the charge ...

Todd Terry: Terry's All Gold — Todd Terry: Resolutions (Innocent)

Review and Interview by David Bennun, The Guardian, 2 July 1999

Todd Terry is huge — and if his latest album is anything to go by, says David Bennun, the house deity is about to get ...

Boyzone, The Corrs, Geri Halliwell, Martine McCutcheon, Mike + the Mechanics, Mark Morrison, Westlife: Boyzone, Westlife, Corrs, Geri Halliwell et al: Party in the Park, Hyde Park, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 5 July 1999

Famous for 10 minutes ...

Celine Dion: Up Too Close And Personal: Celine Dion: Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 8 July 1999

THREE SONGS IN, a smiling Celine Dion decides she wants to talk to us, "personally". ...

Macy Gray: Irresistible sister — Macy Gray: Macy Gray On How Life Is (Epic) ****

Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 9 July 1999

Sweat, toil, grit and sex (the real kind)... Macy Gray's debut album has the Guardian's new pop critic, Tom Cox, champing at the bit. ...

Morphine, Mark Sandman: Morphine: Mark Sandman — Exponent of low rock and low life

Obituary by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 13 July 1999

MARK SANDMAN, who has died aged 46 after collapsing on stage at a gig outside Rome, was the central figure in Morphine, America's premier exponents ...

Belle and Sebastian: Nobodies? Perfect

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 16 July 1999

Belle and Sebastian may not court fame, but they've sure found success. ...

Elaine Paige, Cliff Richard: Cliff Richard, Elaine Paige: Hyde Park, London

Live Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 19 July 1999

Only for the converted ...

Ben Christophers: Kashmir Club, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 21 July 1999

THE UK music business is amply stocked with Wellers and Hucknalls, and even the Williams slot is filled. What it has lacked, though, is a ...

Technique: 100 Club, London

Live Review by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 22 July 1999

SUCH IS THE brouhaha provoked by Technique in their brief career that one might innocently suppose it had something to do with their music, and ...

Merz: Dingwalls, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 29 July 1999

IF YOUR NAME WAS CONRAD, why would you change it to the even less euphonious Merz? There's a story behind it, as there is to ...

Destiny's Child: The Writing's on the Wall (Columbia)

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 30 July 1999

THEIR HIPPYISH name apart, there's nothing about these Texas teenagers that hasn't been calibrated to comply with laws governing female R&B groups. ...

Elvis Presley: Elvis: He's Alive!

Guide by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 30 July 1999

It's 22 years since the King was found dead at Gracelands, but some people still refuse to believe he has gone. Tom Cox sifts through ...

All Saints, Bananarama, Spice Girls, The Supremes: Girl Groups: Smash Hits

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 2 August 1999

So Mel C thinks Geri H is untalented, does she? When girl bands break up, says Caroline Sullivan, the pops get personal ...

Gigolo Aunts: The Garage, London

Live Review by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 3 August 1999

THE PAST IS a foreign country, and it's where the Gigolo Aunts choose to live. "Last time we were here we were touring with the ...

Secret Knowledge: Kris Needs: I Snogged Debbie Harry

Profile and Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 3 August 1999

If you can't be a rock star, you can always get your kicks by hanging out with them. Kris Needs tells Dave Simpson how it's ...

Mark Morrison: How to beat a bad rap

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 6 August 1999

The baddest boy in pop is out of jail. But behind Mark Morrison's hard facade Caroline Sullivan finds a big pussycat who wants nothing more ...

Dr. John: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 7 August 1999

If it wasn't for the beard and white suit, you might mistake Dr John for the warm-up act. Tom Cox waits in vain for something ...

Aretha Franklin: Jerry Wexler: Aretha And Me

Interview by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 13 August 1999

JERRY WEXLER, co-founder of Atlantic Records and in-house producer, was picking himself up off the floor of Muscle Shoals studio in Alabama when he received ...

Roots Manuva: The Venue, London ****

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 13 August 1999

YOU COULD probably write the history of British hip-hop in this space. The problem is less a dearth of homegrown talent than a lack of ...

Wondermints: Bali (Big Deal/EMI America) *****

Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 13 August 1999

Bloody good vibrations — They use seaflutes and palm fronds and write sun-drenched melodies. Oh, and they tour with Brian Wilson. Tom Cox is in ...

Bros, Five, Spice Girls: Bob Herbert 1942-1999

Obituary by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 14 August 1999

BOB HERBERT, who has died in a car crash aged 57, didn't invent the idea of the packaged pop group, but, as the man responsible ...

Supergirly: Pop tarts

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 18 August 1999

Madonna loves their parodies; so do Elton, Mick and Boy George. Dave Simpson meets Aussie sensation Supergirl ...

Ben & Jason, Witness: Witness/Ben & Jason: The Social, London

Live Review by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 20 August 1999

SO CONVIVIAL IS the Heavenly record label's latest location for West End hi-living that any act willing to take on its Wednesday night acoustic challenge ...

Elastica: Six Track EP (Deceptive) *

Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 27 August 1999

FOR ALL THE TREMORS, speculation and mystique you might generate by disappearing off the face of the earth after a classic debut album, there's always ...

Guided By Voices: The Garage, London

Live Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 27 August 1999

Pithy, his psychedelia ...

The Sugarhill Gang: The Jazz Cafe, London **

Live Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 28 August 1999

Caught in a rap trap ...

Pulp — A Quiet Revolution: Queen's Hall, Edinburgh ****

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 2 September 1999

Blinds have more fun ...

Hawkwind: Epoch Eclipse 30th Anniversary Box Set

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 3 September 1999

HOW DID HAWKWIND GET A REPUTATION as peace-loving hippies? They were a barking mad, space-age fusion of druggy menace and joyous sonic mayhem, and they ...

Os Mutantes: Everything Is Possible! (Luaka Bop)

Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 3 September 1999

OS MUTANTES are the sort of dreamers you might have found on a wayward acid trip in 1969, sitting around a campfire in a Brazilian ...

Bernard Butler: He Won't be Suede

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 10 September 1999

Since leaving Suede in 1994, Bernard Butler has taken the battering of his life just for being "different and eccentric". But the strong and silent ...

Whitney Houston: Sheffield Arena **

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 11 September 1999

Diva takes a nosedive ...

Leftfield: Best in field

Interview by David Bennun, The Guardian, 17 September 1999

Four years ago Leftfield made the Greatest Dance Album of All Time. Then everything went quiet until the release of their new album this month. ...

Live Killers

Comment by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 17 September 1999

HERE'S A JOKE. Last night, I met an alien outside a pub in north London. We got chatting about hobbies and stuff, and he ended ...

David Bowie: David Buckley: Strange Fascination – The Definitive David Bowie Story

Book Review by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 23 September 1999

WHILE MOST BOWIE biographies (notably Alias David Bowie, Peter & Leni Gillman's 1986 exposé of family mental illness and the Bowie "myth") are as welcome ...

The Clash, Joe Strummer: Joe Strummer: Definitely Not Admitting Defeat Yet

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 24 September 1999

"I THINK GOOD manners will come back. In America, kids saw punk rock as a licence to be as rude as possible. I didn't like ...

Macy Gray: Squeak Revenge

Interview by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 24 September 1999

Macy Gray's unearthly voice was once the butt of everyone's jokes. But after a hit album, that voice is having the last laugh. Tom Cox ...

Shelby Lynne: I Am Shelby Lynne (Mercury)

Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 24 September 1999

Her father shot her mother then killed himself, she has a problem with using 'g' in song titles and she's set herself up as the ...

Dot Allison, Arab Strap: Arab Strap, Dot Allison: Islington Union Chapel, London

Live Review by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 25 September 1999

Smitten souls ...

Alice In Chains: Music Bank

Review by David Bennun, The Guardian, October 1999

IF EVER a Central Committee for Naming Things should be summoned into existence, I would like to nominate, for the chair, the inventor of the ...

Funkapolitan: Bish, Bash, Posh: Class and British Pop

Essay by Barney Hoskyns, The Guardian, 1 October 1999

As Tony Blair calls for a classless society, he might be surprised to learn that the world of pop music is riddled with toffs. Self-confessed ...

Wheat: Water Rat, King's Cross

Live Review by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 5 October 1999

IN A RELATIVELY brief career, one imagines Wheat are already weary of agricultural quips prompted by their name. But it would help if the Massachusetts ...

Fine Young Cannibals, Roland Gift: Roland Gift: Not the man he used to be

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 7 October 1999

Roland Gift tells Dave Simpson why he has no reason to mourn the demise of the Fine Young Cannibals ...

Moloko: Home, London **

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 11 October 1999

"WE," DECLARED the blonde girl in the DJ booth, "are the Moloko sound system." This was bad news indeed. Every band currently has what it ...

Christina Aguilera, BreZe: Life in Plastic, It's Fantastic

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 15 October 1999

Who are all these new singers who go straight in at No 1? Caroline Sullivan on the rise of the boil-in-the-bag pop star ...

The Bay City Rollers: My tartan heart

Retrospective by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 18 October 1999

Caroline Sullivan reflects on the life and love of a teenage Bay City Rollers fan ...

Beth Orton: Academy, Manchester ****

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 19 October 1999

Real angry woman ...

The Incredible String Band: An Incredible String Reunion: An Interview with Robin Williamson

Interview by Andy Farquarson, The Guardian, 22 October 1999

To those of the Rizla generation who spent the summer of 1967 rolling joints on its album sleeves, the Incredible String Band occupies near-mythic status. ...

Gabrielle: Sunshine After Rainy Days

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 22 October 1999

After what she's been through, who'd begrudge Gabrielle her success? Not Caroline Sullivan. ...

Horace Andy: Roots master — Horace Andy: Living in the Flood (Melankolic) ****

Review by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 22 October 1999

Thirty years into his career as a reggae singer, Horace Andy has hit paydirt, writes Sean O'Hagan ...

The High Llamas: Snowbug (V2)

Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 22 October 1999

THE AURAL equivalent of icing desperately missing a cake, High Llamas records are all arrangement and no song, taking the legacy of the Beach Boys ...

Campag Velocet : Music Box, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 23 October 1999

Market rap an outrage ...

Shelby Lynne: Embassy Rooms, London ****

Live Review by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 27 October 1999

ONE OF THE new breed of US country crossover stars, Shelby Lynne doesn't have the smooth, invincible sheen of a Shania Twain or a Mindy ...

Jimmy Webb: Pizza on the Park, London ***

Live Review by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 28 October 1999

WHEN THE Boo Radleys wrote a song called 'Jimmy Webb is God' they presumably weren't gripped by a vision of the Lord playing a gig ...

Crosby Stills Nash & Young: "Deja Vu Again"

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 29 October 1999

THERE'S NO MISTAKING the portly middle-aged man with the walrus moustache beached on a sofa at the Dorchester hotel, plucking the chords of Neil Young's ...

Merz: Merz (Epic)

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 29 October 1999

Don't wait until next year for Oasis or Radiohead — the debut album from Merz is here now, and it will leave you bewitched, says ...

Alton Ellis, Bob Marley & the Wailers, Lee "Scratch" Perry, The Pioneers, Prince Buster, Max Romeo and the Upsetters, The Skatalites: Ska: Fascinating rhythm

Retrospective by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 29 October 1999

Fresh out of young Jamaica in the 60s, ska became the defining sound of a vibrant music scene — in turn it influenced 70s reggae, ...

Horace Andy: Heavenly Social, London

Live Review by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 30 October 1999

After three decades as a singer, Horace Andy can still surprise. Lucy O'Brien reports ...

Shack: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London — Fine songs, poor show

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 6 November 1999

TO LOOK AT THE QUARTET of off-duty plumbers who comprise Liverpool's Shack — which you can't do on their current album, HMS Fable, as it ...

Beck: Arty like it's 1999 — Beck: Midnite Vultures (Geffen)

Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 12 November 1999

Tom Cox picks over the latest from a surreal, scrambled brain ...

Basement Jaxx: Academy, Manchester ****

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 16 November 1999

Big cheese party ...

Chuck Prophet: Underworld, London ****

Live Review by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 17 November 1999

IN 1989 CHUCK Prophet was the snake-hipped, guitar-slinging foil to Dan Stuart's punch-drunk sheriff in American rock'n'rollers Green On Red. ...

Coldcut: Shepherds Bush Empire, London ***

Live Review by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 17 November 1999

Ramraiders of the past ...

Guided by Voices: Ale to the King

Interview by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 19 November 1999

He's 42, his main influences are The Beatles and Genesis, and he's still putting self-proclaimed rock'n'roll animals to shame. Tom Cox shared more than a ...

The Isley Brothers: It's Your Thing: The Story of the Isley Brothers (Epic) *****

Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 19 November 1999

THE MOST DEFINITIVE summation of The Isley Brothers' career so far begins not with a song but a real, live shriek. ...

Everything But The Girl: Forum, London

Live Review by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 20 November 1999

Smooth grooves ...

Prince: Pop stars as you'll never see them

Report by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 20 November 1999

I HAVE A certain contingent of friends who want to protect me from the music business because they think it's riddled with merciless charlatans and ...

Pavement: Brixton Academy, London ****

Live Review by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 22 November 1999

A grave goodnight ...

Foo Fighters: Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow

Live Review by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 23 November 1999

A THREADBARE Celtic cliché claims audiences at this decrepit old ballroom are better than anywhere else in the country, perhaps even the world. But as ...

Atomic Kitten: Who the hell are Atomic Kitten?

Profile by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 26 November 1999

So, who the hell are they? Liverpudlian about-to-be pop sensations Elizabeth McLarnon (18), Kerry Katona (19) and Natasha Hamilton (17). ...

Luscious Jackson, Pavement: A rocky place for friendships

Comment by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 27 November 1999

THIS SUMMER, I interviewed Luscious Jackson, the funky, friendly New York girl group, in a hotel suite de-renovated to resemble an adolescent bedroom on the ...

Foo Fighters: At the Brixton Academy

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 27 November 1999

The number of rock drummers who've realised they were destined for headier things at the front of the stage can be counted on two fingers: ...

Henry Rollins: LSE Old Theatre, London ****

Live Review by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 30 November 1999

SOMEWHERE UP there, reclining on a celestial tobacco cloud, Bill Hicks must cast a rueful eye towards the one-man stand-up multi-gym that is Henry Rollins. ...

Marc Almond, Labelle, Dusty Springfield: Vicki Wickham: Ready, Vicki, Go!

Retrospective and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 30 November 1999

She's managed stars from Dusty Springfield to Marc Almond and has just won an award for her lifetime's work in the music industry. But outside ...

Herb Abramson, 1916-1999

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 3 December 1999

HERB ABRAMSON, who has died aged 82, was one of the architects of Atlantic Records, which in the 1950s and 60s was the most creative ...

Pete Townshend, The Who: Pete Townshend: Peter Rabbits

Interview by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 3 December 1999

I'M LAUGHING, BUT Pete Townshend is frightening me. "Yes!!!!!" he shouts, and bangs hard on the table in his Richmond studio, for the second time ...

The Mavericks: Hammersmith Palais, London - Let's do the timewarp

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 3 December 1999

THERE'S A NEW Best of the Mavericks compilation launched to commemorate the "first decade of Maverick music", which prompts the alarming thought that they may ...

Spice Girls: Robotic Neurotics: Spice Girls: Evening News Arena, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 6 December 1999

YOUR BAND may take a year off, but if you are a Spice Girl you just can't keep out of the headlines. ...

George Michael: Even older, but no wiser — George Michael: Songs from the Last Century (Virgin) **

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 10 December 1999

He has fought for credibility since his Wham! days — now he's blown it for ever, says Caroline Sullivan ...

Birth: Who The Hell Are They?: Birth

Profile by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 10 December 1999

So, who the hell are they? He, actually. The rather oddly-named Bournemouth export Dawm Lanten, who understandably prefers to be called DL. ...

Mullet of Kintyre, anyone?

Comment by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 11 December 1999

ONE OF the best Christmas presents you could buy for the 80s obsessive in your life this year is The Mullet: Hairstyle of the Gods, ...

The Beach Boys, Phil Spector, Brian Wilson: Phil Spector and Brian Wilson: The Nutty Producers

Retrospective by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 16 December 1999

Without Phil Spector and Brian Wilson, the 60s would have sounded very different, says Sean O'Hagan. ...

The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur: The Notorious BIG: Born Again (Puff Daddy Records/Arista) **; 2Pac+Outlawz: Still I Rise (Interscope) ****

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 17 December 1999

Stiff competition: Caroline Sullivan checks out the latest from two late rappers ...

Royal Trux: Bang, Crash Brilliance: Royal Trux: Scala, London

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 18 December 1999

ROYAL TRUX don't give a damn and don't care who knows it. ...

Coal Chamber, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Orgy, Rage Against the Machine, Static-X, System of a Down, Rob Zombie: They love bands called Snot and Orgy and dress like S&M fans. Welcome to nu metal

Report by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 20 December 1999

Dave Simpson tunes into the latest pop cult ...

George Clinton, Funkadelic, Parliament: George Clinton: The P-Father of P-Funk

Retrospective by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 23 December 1999

Who was pop's greatest showman? Sean O'Hagan has no hesitation in picking George Clinton. ...

Bob Dylan, 1966: A Lot of Nerve

Retrospective by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 30 December 1999

It was 1965, and in a surge of amphetamine-fuelled creativity Bob Dylan was reinventing the pop song. But then a motorbike crash changed everything. As ...

Almost Famous: 1973 and all that

Essay by Charles Shaar Murray, The Guardian, 2000

1973 AS A rock and roll annus mirabilis? Six thousand miles away from the old Rolling Stone office in San Francisco, it felt more like ...

Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans: Bobby Sheen

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 2000

WHENEVER HE MADE records under his own name, Bobby Sheen, who has died aged 57, was out of luck. But as Bob B Soxx, the ...

Glen Campbell

Profile and Interview by David Bennun, The Guardian, 2000

"I CAN," says Glen Campbell, "wriggle my right breast." He demonstrates. It's true. He can. ...

Steely Dan: Librarians on Acid

Profile and Interview by Barney Hoskyns, The Guardian, January 2000

STEELY DAN have always split people down the middle. On one side sit major dudes like William Gibson, who delight in the apparent disjunction between ...

Don "Sugarcane" Harris, 1939-1999

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 3 January 2000

THE JAZZ, BLUES and rock violinist Don "Sugarcane" Harris, who has died of pulmonary illness aged 61, played on four of Frank Zappa's albums, including ...

Gene: Forum, London

Live Review by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 18 January 2000

AS THE MUSIC industry struggles to acclimatise to the brave new online era, it's somehow fitting that the first major gig of the year should ...

The Wannadies: Dingwalls, London

Live Review by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 20 January 2000

THE OLD ADAGE says that a pop song is only truly popular once postmen are heard whistling it, but the approbation of bar staff isn't ...

Smashing Pumpkins: Dominion Theatre, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 26 January 2000

Heavy on the '70s metal ...

Oasis: What you on about?

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 28 January 2000

Caroline Sullivan is not convinced by the comeback single ...

Terris: Astoria, London

Live Review by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 29 January 2000

EVERY YEAR they come, wan-faced desperadoes who all too willingly pronounce themselves saviours of that raddled old nag we know as rock 'n' roll. ...

Oasis: Standing on the Shoulder of Giants (Big Brother) **

Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 4 February 2000

FOR HAS-BEENS APPARENT, Oasis still possess remarkable powers of intimidation, but in the build-up to Standing on the Shoulder of Giants they've cunningly switched tactics. ...

The Cure: Astoria, London

Live Review by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 11 February 2000

IF LIFE REALLY begins at 40, then pity Robert Smith, a man who has spent more than 20 years ruminating on the sheer hopelessness of ...

Death in Vegas: The Cockpit, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 18 February 2000

Better listen at home ...

Smashing Pumpkins: Machina/Machines of God (Hut) *

Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 18 February 2000

FOR THE DIZZY hippy posing as disaffected slacker, Smashing Pumpkins were the perfect band to help you dream your way through the grunge era. ...

Pete Townshend's Lifehouse: Sadler's Wells, London

Live Review by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 28 February 2000

PETE TOWNSHEND at Sadler's Wells? The ex-Who star's venue for this performance of the 30-years-in-the-making rock opera Lifehouse was, like its recent broadcast on Radio ...

AC/DC: Stiff Upper Lip (EMI)


Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 3 March 2000

AC/DC MAY OR may not currently be writing the best lyrics in rock. It's hard to tell, since they don't print them on their album ...

Shola Ama: Jazz Café, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 11 March 2000

THE STORY GOES that west London teenager Shola Ama was singing to herself at Hammersmith tube station one day when, in true pop-legend fashion, a ...

Ali Farka Touré: Barbican, London — Niger river delta blues

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 14 March 2000

IT HAS become increasingly difficult to prise Malian guitarist Ali Farka Touré away from the rural life in his home village of Niafunke. ...

Kirsty MacColl: Tropical Brainstorm

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 17 March 2000

Kirsty MacColl's first album since 1994 sees her flirting with Latin rhythms and cliched tourist-brochure lyrics. But, says Caroline Sullivan, it's better than you'd think ...

Prefab Sprout: Going for a Song

Profile and Interview by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 21 March 2000

Paddy McAloon made Prefab Sprout one of Britain's favourite bands. Now you can buy the albums for just 10p. Tom Cox asks him how he ...

Lou Reed: Ecstasy (WEA)

Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 24 March 2000

IT BEGINS WITH a grumble: not Lou himself, but a bass guitar attempting to clone the sound of an OAP getting on a downtown bus, ...

Beck: Wembley Arena, London ****

Live Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 25 March 2000

Chameleon colours ...

The Mighty Imperials: Mighty Imperials: I can't dance to this modern racket

Essay by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 25 March 2000

I'M SUPPOSED TO BE WATCHING the debut UK gig by New York's Mighty Imperials, but, off to stage right, three black men are turning themselves ...

Cypress Hill: Astoria, London ****

Live Review by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 28 March 2000

THE ONGOING debate about the decriminalisation of cannabis seems redundant when a substantial proportion of the 1,800 people shoehorned into the Astoria have voted with ...

Phil Collins: This man must be stopped

Comment by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 30 March 2000

Stop up your ears. Unplug the radio. Phil Collins is back, with an Oscar-winning song, a tribute album, even a high-profile lawsuit. Tom Cox prays ...

Julian Cope: Royal Festival Hall, London ****

Live Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 4 April 2000

IT HAS BEEN a long time since Julian Cope could be described merely as a singing psychedelic mystic eco-warrior. ...

The Chart Busters

Report and Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 4 April 2000

First Britpop, then drum'n'bass, now UK garage: behind every popular band are the A&R scouts, hunting for acts who might repeat that success. ...

Inner City Jam: A musical about rundown north London. In Leeds

Comment by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 11 April 2000

Inner City Jam is a colourful portrait of King's Cross. So why couldn't it find a theatre in the capital, asks Dave Simpson ...

L7: Manchester University

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 13 April 2000

Bad grrls live forever ...

Coldplay, Muse, Radiohead, Six By Seven: No Surprises: Radiohead And Their Kind

Report by Barney Hoskyns, The Guardian, 14 April 2000

After the success of OK Computer, Radiohead's next album is one of the most eagerly awaited records ever. Perhaps, says BARNEY HOSKYNS, that's why copycat ...

Angelica: The Monarch, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 20 April 2000

GIRL POP has rarely been less prepossessing. The choices these days boil down to factory-farmed mannequins like Atomic Kitten or fourth-generation copies of Hole that ...

Dwight Twilley: Magical Mystery Man

Retrospective and Interview by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 21 April 2000

The name Dwight Twilley probably doesn't ring a bell, but to the cognoscenti he's a rock'n'roll legend blessed with pop sensibility and irresistible animal magnetism. ...

Buena Vista Social Club, Omara Portuondo: Omara Portuondo: Royal Festival Hall, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 29 April 2000

Cuba's Edith Piaf ...

David Pajo, Papa M: Papa M: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 29 April 2000

How to avoid an audience ...

Matthew Sweet: In Reverse (Zomba)

Review and Interview by Barney Hoskyns, The Guardian, May 2000

MATTHEW SWEET began the '90s with the much-feted Girlfriend, an album of angular, bittersweet power pop markedly different from the meaty rage of Nirvana and ...

The Jayhawks: Smile (Columbia)

Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 5 May 2000

"THESE SONGS ACT like country-tinged rock and roll with an intellectual attitude and shit-kicking ambiance, but they're smarter than they act... they aren't as simple ...

Heinz, John Leyton, Joe Meek, The Tornados: Geoff Goddard, 1939-2000

Obituary by Alan Clayson, The Guardian, 25 May 2000

Innovative songwriter in an era before the Beatles ...

Public Enemy: New Trinity, Bristol

Live Review by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 29 May 2000

THOUGH THEY NO longer dominate hip hop as they did 10 years ago, it's worth remembering that, before Public Enemy, rap was not an instinctively ...

Pearl Jam: Wembley Arena — Forever grunge

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 31 May 2000

IN THE US, Pearl Jam are held up as everything a big rock band should be: unswervingly dedicated to their brooding art, with a complementary ...

The Dandy Warhols: A Toast To The Wasted: The Dandy Warhols: The Cockpit, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 8 June 2000

AS IGGY POP would testify, you can always rely on the British public to take a drug-frazzled American wacko to their hearts. ...

Cat Power: The Spitz, London

Live Review by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 10 June 2000

A shuffle in the dark: Cat Power leaves Keith Cameron ill at ease ...

Coldplay: Cockpit, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 13 June 2000

FOR THEIR ardent supporters, Coldplay are the great white hopes of British angst rock. For their equally vociferous detractors, they are miserable musos who have ...

Richard Ashcroft: Alone With Everybody (Hut) **

Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 16 June 2000

KINDRED TO THE hippie but more English, less articulate, less political, more self-serving and better at fighting, the dippie is a breed of musician that ...

Kasey Chambers: Daughter of a preacher man

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 4 July 2000

One day you're trapping foxes in the Outback with your devout dad. The next, you're a country singer. Adam Sweeting meets Kasey Chambers. ...

Girl Thing: No more girl power

Comment by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 5 July 2000

Girl Thing were meant to be the new Spice Girls. But the public had other ideas. Caroline Sullivan reports ...

Creedence Clearwater Revival, John Fogerty: John Fogerty: The saddest story in rock

Retrospective and Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 11 July 2000

In 1988 John Fogerty was sued for plagiarising his own songs. Adam Sweeting talks to the Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman about 12 years of bitter ...

Graham Coxon: Sheffield Leadmill

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 13 July 2000

Grunge therapy ...

João Gilberto: the Barbican, London

Live Review by John L. Walters, The Guardian, 18 July 2000

TRY THIS FOR an example of musical minimalism: a man sits on a stool before a single microphone at the centre of a stage which ...

Kasey Chambers: Borderline, London

Live Review by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 20 July 2000

KASEY CHAMBERS is a 23-year-old New Country artist, from New South Wales rather than Nashville. She has already sold 70,000 copies of her debut album, ...

Sleater-Kinney: Cockpit, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 26 July 2000

IT’S HARD ENOUGH being a 21st-century, radical feminist post-punk band, but Sleater-Kinney have a further enemy in the sound system. "This is our fourth member," ...

Crescent, Movietone: Movietone: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 31 July 2000

HOW DO YOU know when a "pop" band is part of the underground? There are probably several definitions, but one of them must surely be ...

Eliza Carthy, Kate Rusby, Kathryn Williams: Sandals Out, Piercing In: The New Folk Sirens

Overview by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 24 August 2000

LIVERPUDLIAN ARTIST Kathryn Williams is among the nominees for this year’s Mercury music prize – and hotly tipped to win. Last year Kate Rusby was ...

Lowell George: Time Loves a Hero: Lowell George

Retrospective by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 30 August 2000

THE EAGLES SOLD more records and Steely Dan went down better with intellectuals, but the best American band of the 1970s was Little Feat, led ...

Andrew Weatherall: My brilliant career

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 6 September 2000

Andrew Weatherall helped to invent both dance music and the superstar DJ. Then, burnt out and disillusioned, he went underground. As he emerges with a ...

Steely Dan: Wembley Arena

Live Review by John L. Walters, The Guardian, 11 September 2000

GREAT GIG, but what a shame not to hear 'What A Shame About Me'. It's the perfect singalong anthem for fans of Steely Dan, since ...

Little Feat: Forum, London

Live Review by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 13 September 2000

THERE WERE THREE groups who vividly chronicled life in post-Woodstock America. The Band sought refuge from the psychedelic intensity of the period in the country's ...

Bob Dylan: Vicar St, Dublin *****

Live Review by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 16 September 2000

THE 800 TICKETS for this suddenly announced "intimate" show supposedly sold out in 15 seconds. For the select multitude, then, this was a night of ...

Melanie C: St George's Hall, Bradford

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 19 September 2000

OF THE MANY routes to solo stardom open to a Spice Girl, being a rock chick is not one of them. Just ask Mel C. ...

Magazine: Maybe It's Right to Be Nervous Now (Virgin, 3CDs) ****

Review by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 22 September 2000

FOLLOWING AN initial period of liberation, punk, like all revolutionary forces, soon substituted new orthodoxies for those it had blown apart. ...

Neal Casal: Borderline, London

Live Review by John Aizlewood, The Guardian, 25 September 2000

IT IS HARD not to sympathise with Neal Casal: he is surely doing this for love, not money. After seven mostly impressive albums in five ...

Radiohead: Victoria Park, London ****

Live Review by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 25 September 2000

FOR DARLINGS of an allegedly slack generation, you can't deny Radiohead have high standards. This is the band who recently took 373 days to record ...

The Kingsbury Manx: Water Rats, London

Live Review by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 3 October 2000

IN THEIR RIOT OF VISUAL UNDERSTATEMENT, The Kingsbury Manx suggest a new derivation of math-rock that has little to do with rigorously precise musicianship and ...

Shivaree: Borderline, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 5 October 2000

ALTHOUGH SHIVAREE is nominally a band, all interest is inevitably going to focus on vocalist Ambrosia Parsley (her real name, should you feel inclined to ...

Allison Moorer: Dingwalls, London

Live Review by John Aizlewood, The Guardian, 16 October 2000

SHE MAY BE TRADITIONAL down to her oft-repeated felicitations to "y'all", but Alabama's Allison Moorer is hardly a typical country woman, and not solely because ...

Eileen Rose: Spitz, London

Live Review by John Aizlewood, The Guardian, 19 October 2000

ANOTHER WEEK, another female singer trying to merge Alanis Morissette's lyrical convolutions, Sheryl Crow's tuneful rock chickery and that hint of kookiness Jewel embraces with ...

Jason Donovan: Jason gets sorted

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 19 October 2000

Jason Donovan was the golden boy of soap and pop 10 years ago. Then he went bald and it all fell apart. Now he's reinvented ...

Cousteau: Cousteau

Review by John Aizlewood, The Guardian, 20 October 2000

WE HAVE BEEN THIS WAY BEFORE. Many times in fact, since 1967, when Scott Walker discovered Jacques Brel and embarked upon a most contrary solo ...

Coldplay: Shepherd's Bush Empire

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 24 October 2000

The shambolically serious Coldplay. ...

U2: All That You Can't Leave Behind

Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 27 October 2000

PRISING THEMSELVES free from their mid-'90s fixations with irony and Las Vegas glitz, U2 have circled back to what they've always done best. That means ...

Placebo: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 1 November 2000

IT'S HALLOWEEN, so it's fitting that the evening's main attraction is a petulant succubus wearing a tight purple suit and nail varnish. If you hadn't ...

Smashing Pumpkins: Manchester Apollo

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 2 November 2000

FINAL FLING for the painful Pumpkins. ...

Cosmic Rough Riders: Enjoy the Melodic Sunshine

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 3 November 2000

IT'S SEVEN YEARS since Alan McGee "discovered" Oasis blowing 18 Wheeler off the stage in King Tut's, Glasgow. Since then, his Creation label has gone ...

Artful Dodger (2000s): Artful Dodger: It's All About the Stragglers

Review by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 10 November 2000

Artful Dodger's debut is a glorious compilation of two-step hooklines. ...

Spice Girls, Westlife: Battle of the blands: Westlife versus the Spice Girls

Comment by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 November 2000

It was the biggest chart clash since Blur versus Oasis: Westlife versus the Spice Girls. What does that tell us about today's music business, asks ...

Marti Pellow: Apollo, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 13 November 2000

ANYBODY WHO EVER WONDERED how Marti Pellow managed to live with himself after producing the excruciating 'Love Is All Around' — 14 weeks at number ...

Wondermints: Borderline, London

Live Review by John Aizlewood, The Guardian, 17 November 2000

IN THE MOMENTARY SILENCE following 'Global Village Idiot''s harmonic but angular climax, some wag shouts "Surf's Up!" It's part request, part comment and everyone in ...

Bent: Rocket, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 18 November 2000

WE’RE HEADING for the silly season. For the next month or so, the TV companies will dig out those old episodes of Top of The ...

David Cavanagh: The Creation Records Story – My Magpie Eyes Are Hungry for the Prize (Virgin)

Book Review by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 25 November 2000

WHEN NEWS OF the closure of Creation Records broke on November 26 1999, one person at least must have been grateful. David Cavanagh now had ...

Craig David: City Hall, Sheffield

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 27 November 2000

PEOPLE ARE DIVIDED on Craig David. For some, he is the spearhead of UK garage, whose pioneering "two-step" music has swept him to two number ...

...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead: And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead: Cockpit, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 29 November 2000

WITH A NAME like And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, you could say these Texan noise-punks are looking for trouble – ...

AC/DC: NEC Arena, Birmingham

Live Review by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 30 November 2000

MORE THAN 25 years after they started it, AC/DC are still playing it – the riff. The same sticklebacked three-chord trick has been their passport ...

Richard Ashcroft: Apollo, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 5 December 2000

THE VERVE MAN rises again in style ...

Jean-Jacques Burnel: Manchester University

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 11 December 2000

JEAN-JACQUES BURNEL is one of rock's most notorious characters. In the Stranglers' authorised biography, No Mercy, 20 pages tackle the subject of "Burnel, violence". ...

Cradle of Filth: Astoria, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 18 December 2000

AND A SATANIC Merry Christmas from Cradle of Filth, nice Ipswich boys whose idea of a great night is quaffing freshly-drawn virgin's blood to rev ...

The Human League: Human remains

Report by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 20 December 2000

What are the Human League doing playing a bank's Christmas do? Dave Simpson reports ...

The Corrs: Wembley Arena

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 22 December 2000

Glamour and gutsiness — par for the Corrs ...

Bill Frisell: Let your fingers do the talking

Interview by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 2001

Jazz guitarist Bill Frisell has worked with everyone from Chet Baker to Marianne Faithful. So why start taking lessons now? Richard Williams met him ...

All Saints: When The Saints Go Marching Out

Retrospective by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 10 January 2001

THEY'VE BEEN on the verge of it before, but this time it looks as though All Saints are finally splitting up. Caroline Sullivan laments the ...

The Frank and Walters: Glass

Review by John Aizlewood, The Guardian, 12 January 2001

IT IS HARDLY giving away state secrets to acknowledge that things are not going well for Cork's Frank and Walters. When their 1992 debut Trains, ...

Joe: Better Days

Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 14 January 2001

WHEN YOU'RE born with a name as memorable as Usher or Aaliyah, there's no need to rack your brains for a zappy alter ego. If, ...

Brit Awards 2001: Prize fools

Report by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 17 January 2001

The Brits shortlist will spark a hunt for the next Coldplay or Craig David. Dave Simpson despairs  ...

Dido: What went right?

Profile and Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 29 January 2001

LAST NOVEMBER, 29-year-old Dido Armstrong and her boyfriend Bob were discussing their day at work. Bob had gone to the office and relaxed with a ...

Ani DiFranco: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by John Aizlewood, The Guardian, 1 February 2001

WITHOUT A HINT OF MAINSTREAM chart or media attention over a decade-long career, without a new record to promote and without any discernible music industry ...

Ronnie Scott: Playing with fire

Report and Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 5 February 2001

The Musicians' Union is accused of failing its members.  ...

Natalie Cole: King and I

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 8 February 2001

Natalie Cole has been a prostitutes' tout, a junkie and the winner of no fewer than eight Grammys. She tells Dave Simpson about scandal, success ...

Eminem: Manchester Arena

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 9 February 2001

EMINEM'S REPUTATION as world's number one bad boy rapper precedes him. Amid scenes reminiscent of the Sex Pistols, his records have been banned by student ...

Rickie Lee Jones at the Jazz Cafe

Live Review by Ian Penman, The Guardian, 10 February 2001

RICKIE LEE JONES is something of an anomaly. Her latest album, It's Like This, has just been nominated for a Grammy – but how many ...

Lina: Manchester University

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 13 February 2001

Lina's delicious smoky big band sound ...

The price is wrong

Comment by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 14 February 2001

It's been a bad week for music fans — but a good week for the industry. Adam Sweeting on why the CD swindle has to ...

Fun Lovin' Criminals: Loco (Chrysalis)

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 23 February 2001

Felonious funk: Caroline Sullivan enjoys the wiseguy Lotharios of New York ...

Rough Trade: Top of the shops

Retrospective and Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 26 February 2001

One little store inspired a new breed of musician and turned the record industry on its head. Dave Simpson celebrates 25 years of Rough Trade ...

Westlife: Manchester Arena

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 26 February 2001

AS THE BAND remind us from the stage, they are the only group to have their first five British singles enter the chart at number ...

Manic Street Preachers: Our Manics in Havana

Report and Interview by Simon Price, The Guardian, 2 March 2001

Wales's fab three have just become the first major western rock act ever to play in Cuba. Simon Price went with them ...

Kylie Minogue: Camping with Kylie: Kylie Minogue: Manchester Apollo, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 9 March 2001

HAVING RECOVERED FROM the pretensions of duets with Nick Cave and songwriting with the Manic Street Preachers, Kylie has returned to the fluffy pop we ...

Gay Dad: "We're back. Don't tell your friends"

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 15 March 2001

TWO YEARS AGO, when Gay Dad were at their most hyped, lead singer Cliff Jones predicted that his band's name would be remembered as "either ...

Linton Kwesi Johnson: Wardrobe, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 23 March 2001

IT'S 26 years since Linton Kwesi Johnson became the world's first and foremost dub poet with the single 'Dread Beat An' Blood'. For this rare ...

The Deftones, Linkin Park: Linkin Park/Deftones: Manchester Apollo

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 26 March 2001

The boy band, nu metal style ...

Laura Nyro: Songs in the Key of Life: Laura Nyro's Angel in the Dark

Review by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 6 April 2001

THIS ALBUM IS incomplete, but so was Laura Nyro's life. It is the project on which she was working when she died of ovarian cancer ...

Muse: Manchester Academy

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 9 April 2001

Cheek-sucking Muse camp it up ...

Shane MacGowan and Simon Napier-Bell: The Sound And The Fury

Book Review by Ian Penman, The Guardian, 14 April 2001

Black Vinyl, White Powder, Simon Napier-Bell (390pp, Ebury Press £16.99)A Drink With Shane MacGowan, Victoria Mary Clarke and Shane MacGowan (360pp, Sidgwick & Jackson £15.99) ...

Starsailor: Plain Sailing: Starsailor

Profile and Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 17 April 2001

Starsailor have been tipped as the most exciting band since Coldplay. Has that been a curse or a blessing, asks Dave Simpson. ...

Cosmic Rough Riders: Fibbers, York

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 25 April 2001

RECENT MONTHS have seen Cosmic Rough Riders bask in an enviable reputation as rock critics have fallen over themselves to hail the band as the ...

David Byrne: "Therapy is like a lobotomy. Who wants to have all their edges shaved off?"

Report and Interview by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 27 April 2001

HE'S ACCEPTED NOW, at last, that he'll always be known for one thing: the Big Suit. In 1984, David Byrne, the voice of New York ...

Kristin Hersh: Shepherds Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 28 April 2001

WITH HER NEW ALBUM, Sunny Border Blue, Kristin Hersh has done no harm whatsoever to her image as the Sylvia Plath of pop. While Hersh ...

Goldfrapp: "The Mercury prize? Oh God, that would be great. I deserve something"

Profile and Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 4 May 2001

Singing sensation Alison Goldfrapp tells Dave Simpson why her time has come. ...

Ryan Adams: Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 8 May 2001

AS FRONTMAN of quasi-legendary "alt-country" band Whiskeytown, Ryan Adams found excitable listeners likening him to Gram Parsons or even Bob Dylan. Comparisons like these have ...

R.E.M.: Reveal

Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 11 May 2001

THIS IS THE SECOND ALBUM REM have made since the departure of drummer Bill Berry, and (on disc at least) it finds them settling into ...

Outkast: Partners in Rhyme: OutKast

Profile and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 18 May 2001

One of them is a blonde-wigged, teetotal vegetarian who reads Pushkin. The other breeds pitbulls in his spare time. Together they have been called the ...

S Club 7: Pop's Magnificent Seven: S Club 7: Arena, Sheffield ****

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 21 May 2001

FOR THEIR FIRST TOUR, S Club 7 are taking risks. Dark-haired Hannah is lowered in on a parachute, while clean-cut Jon clambers out of the ...

Anoushka Shankar: Daddy's Girl

Profile and Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 30 May 2001

If anyone was born to play the sitar, it's Anoushka Shankar. Adam Sweeting asks her about life in Ravi's shadow. ...

The Eagles: You can break up any time you like, but you can never leave

Report by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 5 June 2001

"WHILE THE BAND did break up in 1980, our music continued without us," wrote Eagles founder member Glenn Frey last year. "It was becoming increasingly ...

The Eagles: Eagles: Earls Court, London

Live Review by John Aizlewood, The Guardian, 12 June 2001

WITH MANY tickets costing £60, an official baseball top going for a mere £70 and queues of more than 30 minutes to enter Earls Court, ...

Rufus Wainwright: "My Parents the Folk Heroes"

Profile and Interview by Barney Hoskyns, The Guardian, 15 June 2001

THE WITTIEST REQUEST from the crowd at Rufus Wainwright's New York show last week was for ‘Rufus is a Tit Man’, a song written aeons ...

Travis: Songs in the Key of Life: Travis

Interview by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 23 June 2001

IF THERE IS ONE thing you can be completely sure of, it is this: at some point today, a U.K. radio station will play a ...

Paco de Lucia: Royal Festival Hall, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 30 June 2001

DESPITE ALL the detours in Paco de Lucia's career, his current seven-piece ensemble maintains links with his past. Still present from the group's original 1981 ...

Slaves to the Rhythm: Is Napster Dying?

Report by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 7 July 2001

After leading the digital music revolution, Edward Helmore says former fans won't flock back to Napster when it relaunches this summer ...

Ernie K-Doe obituary

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 10 July 2001

IN 1961, into pop charts dominated by the likes of Elvis Presley, Connie Francis and Dion and the Belmonts came the novelty song, 'Mother-In-Law', whose ...

Wyclef Jean: Brixton Academy, London **

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 10 July 2001

...

Fred Neil

Obituary by Colin Irwin, The Guardian, 11 July 2001

HE WROTE ONE of the most famous songs of the late 20th century, but Fred Neil, who has died aged 64 of cancer, remains one ...

The Human League: Human Remains: The Human League

Retrospective and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 13 July 2001

Two decades after their synthpop assault on the charts, the Human League are back. ...

Erykah Badu: Apollo, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 18 July 2001

I HAVE SEEN Bowie atop a giant glass spider and U2 stuck inside a lemon, but I cannot recall an entrance like Erykah Badu's. ...

Ashton, Gardner & Dyke: Tony Ashton, 1946-2000

Obituary by Alan Clayson, The Guardian, 19 July 2001

BORN OF A musical family in Blackburn, Ashton grew up in Blackpool. Before leaving school at 15, he was already a competent pianist and organist, ...

Catatonia, Cerys Matthews: Cerys Matthews: "I'll end up a spinster, like my role model Anne Widdecombe"

Interview by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 20 July 2001

A year ago, after a rumoured nervous breakdown, a rift within the band and a cancelled tour, the music press had consigned Cerys Matthews and ...

Mercury Rev’s Dark Dream

Interview by Barney Hoskyns, The Guardian, August 2001

ON MAY 28, 1998, Jonathan Donahue and Sean "Grasshopper" of Mercury Rev sat rather dejectedly in a diner in Woodstock, New York, and talked about ...

I was an Oz schoolkid

Memoir by Charles Shaar Murray, The Guardian, 2 August 2001

It's 30 years since Oz was prosecuted in an infamous obscenity trial. The underground magazine had been guest-edited by a bunch of teenagers – and ...

The Chameleons: Irish Centre, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 3 August 2001

THERE'S A WONDERFUL – if apocryphal – story about the major-label A&R team that was dispatched to Manchester in the 1980s with instructions to sign ...

Nerina Pallot: Borderline, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 8 August 2001

AS NERINA PALLOT OBSERVES, radio seems to get behind just one female singer-songwriter a year, making the odds against success about the same as winning ...

Primal Scream: Astoria, London

Live Review by John Aizlewood, The Guardian, 14 August 2001

HAVING LONG AGO meandered woozily across the line between inexorably naff and insufferably hip, Primal Scream find themselves approaching another musical crossroads. ...

David Krakauer, Roby Lakatos: An Evening of Klezmer/Gypsy Music: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 17 August 2001

THIS was a late-night dip into "the music of the diaspora and of the dispossessed", as the Proms brochure melodramatically put it. ...

Charlatans, The (UK): The Charlatans: Leadmill, Sheffield

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 18 August 2001

LAST WEEK'S shock revelations that keyboard player Tony Rogers is suffering from testicular cancer was a rare occurrence of a rock band making the national ...

Boz Scaggs: The Boz is back

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 27 August 2001

The least driven man in rhythm and blues has somehow produced another album. Adam Sweeting gets the lowdown ...

Ben Christophers: Spitz, London

Live Review by John Aizlewood, The Guardian, 6 September 2001

TIMES ARE TOUGH right now for the musical descendants of Jeff and Tim Buckley, Tim Hardin and Talk Talk in their noodly period. Always on ...

Blade, Roots Manuva: The home boys: Roots Manuva and the UK posse

Report and Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 13 September 2001

Who needs Eminem and P Diddy when we've got perfectly good British rappers? Dave Simpson talks to Roots Manuva and the UK posse ...

War Within War: Black Americans And The Vietnam Conflict

Retrospective by James Maycock, The Guardian, 15 September 2001

The Vietnam war saw countless numbers of America's young men – both black and white – thrown into combat. They were there to fight the ...

The Residents: Royal Festival Hall, London

Live Review by John Aizlewood, The Guardian, 18 September 2001

"YOU'RE NOT the real Residents!" shouts a heckler. He may or may not have a point – there is no way of telling. Since 1972, ...

Ryan Adams: "I'm not a star to myself. I just make records"

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 19 September 2001

THE YOUNG BOB DYLAN once said that the only way for an aspiring songwriter to develop was to write 10 songs every day, then throw ...

Preston School of Industry: Barfly, Sheffield

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 26 September 2001

IN THE EARLY 1990S dark ages before Britpop, homegrown guitar music was going through a painful obsession with America. At one point almost any Statesider ...

Richie Hawtin: Manchester Sankey's Soap

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 29 September 2001

ON THOSE RARE NON-DJ-ING NIGHTS, when Richie Hawtin sleeps, perhaps he dreams that he was part of the Detroit stable of artist-DJs who invented techno, ...

Spiritualized: Academy, Manchester

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 3 October 2001

THE LIVE ALBUM is traditionally the wooden spoon of rock releases, dumped on the public either to fulfil a contract or bide time until the ...

Aphex Twin: Tank Boy: Aphex Twin

Profile and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 5 October 2001

From Limp Bizkit to Madonna, everyone wants to work with the Aphex Twin. But those high-paying jobs aren’t important, he tells Paul Lester. He’d only ...

Groove Armada: Leadmill, Sheffield

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 23 October 2001

ACKNOWLEDGED KINGS of chill-out, Groove Armada's music works best in certain environments, ideally a Mediterranean beach, hours after closing time. However, presenting chilled-out sounds within ...

Harold Budd, Bill Laswell, Jah Wobble: Jah Wobble's Solaris: Ocean, London

Live Review by John Aizlewood, The Guardian, 23 October 2001

NEVER AFRAID of embracing the cerebral, Jah Wobble's latest group project, Solaris, is inspired by Stanislaw Lem's 1961 science fiction novel and, especially, Andrei Tarkovsky's ...

Rock's Backpages: Blasts from the past

Report and Interview by Andy Farquarson, The Guardian, 1 November 2001

Your ancient copies of NME can go. Andy Farquarson reports on an online library of music journalism. ...

Alicia Keys: "I love Chopin… He's my dawg": Alicia Keys

Report and Interview by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 2 November 2001

Stevie loves her, Oprah's after her and Prince is always on the phone. As Alicia Keys prepares to storm the UK charts, Ian Gittins meets ...

Freeheat: Who the hell are... Freeheat

Overview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 9 November 2001

A regular guide to new bands heading your way ...

The White Stripes: L2, Liverpool

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 15 November 2001

THE CURIOUS success of the White Stripes is proof that rock'n'roll fairy tales can still happen.  ...

Steps: Sheffield Arena

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 27 November 2001

WATCHING STEPS brings to mind George Orwell's image of the future as "a boot stamping on a human face for ever". The band inhabit their ...

The Beatles, George Harrison: George Harrison: All Things Must Pass

Comment by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 30 November 2001

For those who grew up in the 60s, George Harrison's death further compounds the feeling that popular culture will never be as good again. ...

The Beatles, George Harrison: George Harrison 1943-2001

Obituary by Chris Welch, The Guardian, 1 December 2001

George Harrison, singer, guitarist, composer and filmproducer: born Liverpool 25 February 1943; MBE 1965; married1966 Pattie Boyd (marriage dissolved 1977), 1978 OliviaArias (one son); died ...

Delirious?: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by John Aizlewood, The Guardian, 7 December 2001

DELIRIOUS?'s defining moment occurs at the close of their set. 'I'm Not Ashamed' is a Green Day-style, punky rock song. Singer Martin Smith, a slender, ...

Let's talk about me: Paul Gorman's In Their Own Write

Book Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 8 December 2001

The music industry is full of pompous bores – and that's just the writers. ...

Creed: Weathered

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 14 December 2001

ALTHOUGH VIRTUALLY unknown here, this Florida post-grunge trio sold nearly 1m copies of Weathered in its first week of American release. Something in singer Scott ...

Hood: Cold House

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 14 December 2001

THE COVER of Cold House depicts the Yorkshire moors, blurred, as if something is happening just beyond the lens. This desolate region is best known ...

Marti Pellow: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by John Aizlewood, The Guardian, 17 December 2001

HARDLY THE most hospitable venue at the best of times, a third-full Wembley Arena is a depressing place indeed. Such is Marti Pellow's lot post- ...

The Du-Tels: Gods, monsters and us

Interview by John Aizlewood, The Guardian, 18 December 2001

THEY FOUGHT with Beefheart, lost Jeff Buckley and grew used to obscurity. But the Du-Tels just keep on going. ...

The Hives: Astoria, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 19 December 2001

WITH ROCK'S CURRENT favourite flavour being the three-chord thrashing of the Strokes and White Stripes, the Hives couldn't have picked a better moment to offer ...

Clifford T Ward: Clifford T. Ward, 1944-2001

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 22 December 2001

Singer-songwriter whose work added melody and poetic sensibility to the pop scene ...

The Miles Hunt Club: Borderline, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 11 January 2002

MODESTY WAS never regarded as one of Miles Hunt's attributes, and although his stadium-size years with the Wonder Stuff have receded into posterity's rear-view mirror, ...

Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five: Grandmaster Flash

Interview by Frank Broughton, The Guardian, 26 January 2002

A RECENT SURVEY suggests that up to 62% of the world's population is now a famous DJ. In hotspots like Shoreditch, it's easier to find ...

Slipknot: Meet'n'Greet in Glasgow: Slipknot

Interview by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, February 2002

IT'S VALENTINE'S SAY afternoon in Glasgow and a strange kind of love is afoot. Outside the city’s Virgin Megastore, a tearful 13-year-old boy is gasping ...

Indigo Girls: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by John Aizlewood, The Guardian, 1 February 2002

AMY RAY AND EMILY SALIERS can't quite remember the last time they played London. It may have been six years, or seven. Whatever, they tell ...

Mary J. Blige: "My Boyfriend Was Trying To Kill Me. There Were Weapons."

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 1 February 2002

THE WORLD LOVES a troubled diva, and for 10 years Mary Jane Blige has provided her public with a continuous flow of what her friend, ...

Alien Ant Farm: Manchester Academy

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 4 February 2002

EVERY POP movement worth its salt needs a bunch of pranksters. The hippies had Neil Innes's satirists the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, punk boasted the ...

Melissa Etheridge: Dominion Theatre, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 5 February 2002

IT’S NOT every performer who could fill a theatre the size of the Dominion with just their voice and a guitar, but Melissa Etheridge pulled ...

Yann Tiersen: Royal Festival Hall, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 8 February 2002

BOOSTED BY the success of the rose-tinted flick Amelie, Yann Tiersen's fluffy and whimsical music is enjoying a surge of cultish popularity. ...

The Hives: Junction, Cambridge

Live Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 10 February 2002

The Hives put on a fine imitation of garage rock. And the garage is where it would be best appreciated ...

Ike Turner: Ronnie Scott's, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 February 2002

IF YOU didn't know Ike Turner was 70 before this show, you certainly did within minutes of his swaggering entrance. ...

Gwen Stefani, No Doubt: Gwen Stefani: "We'll make one more album, then I'll get pregnant"

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 15 February 2002

Gwen Stefani and No Doubt are back. But maybe not for very long. She talks to Caroline Sullivan ...

Sam Moore: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by John Aizlewood, The Guardian, 15 February 2002

OF THE MYRIAD SAD SIGHTS on the live circuit, none is more distressing than the wobbly of voice and stomach soul veteran vainly trying to ...

Waylon Jennings, 1937-2002

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 15 February 2002

Rebel who revitalised country music and recorded Nashville's first million-selling album. ...

Menlo Park: Borderline, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 19 February 2002

THE FREAKISH Menlo Park suggests the sort of many-headed monstrosity you would be left with in the aftermath of a nuclear Armageddon. ...

Shaggy: Manchester Arena

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 20 February 2002

IF SHAGGY wasn't called Shaggy, his whole career might not have happened. Bonky would have been too rude, Rumpy not suggestive enough. ...

Ian Brown: Rock City, Nottingham

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 22 February 2002

IF THE STONE ROSES had not crumbled beneath him, Ian Brown would never have become a solo artist. Four years ago he was even considering ...

The Faint: Who the hell are ... The Faint

Profile by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 22 February 2002

So, who the hell are they? Newer Romantics Todd Baechie (synths, vocals), Clark Baechie, Jacob Thiele (synths), Joel Petersen (bass) and the not inappropriately ...

Josh Rouse: Dingwalls, London

Live Review by John Aizlewood, The Guardian, 28 February 2002

NASHVILLE-BASED JOSH ROUSE is not one to bare his soul. "People often ask me what this or that song means," he mutters, before stepping into ...

Joan Jeanrenaud: No strings: Joan Jeanrenaud

Profile and Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 28 February 2002

Joan Jeanrenaud had the classical world at her feet as cellist with the Kronos Quartet. She tells Adam Sweeting how she finds life on her ...

The Electric Soft Parade: Manchester University

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 28 February 2002

DESPITE THE FERVOUR for hot American bands the Strokes and the White Stripes, Britain has not forgotten how to make effortlessly classic, exciting guitar-based pop. ...

Buzzcocks: Part-time Punks: The Buzzcocks

Retrospective and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 1 March 2002

The Buzzcocks were one of punk's most influential bands. Now, 25 years on, Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto are recording together again. Paul Lester meets ...

Angie Stone: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 5 March 2002

WHEN HER FIRST solo album appeared in 1999, soulstress Angie Stone was already 33, and more strapping than your average microbe-sized R&B singer. ...

Femi Kuti and Positive Force: Ocean, London

Live Review by John L. Walters, The Guardian, 11 March 2002

SAXOPHONIST FEMI KUTI fronts a 14-piece band, with drums, two percussionists, guitar, bass, keyboards, four horns and three singers. Like a soul review or a ...

Ali G: The joke's on you: Ali G's 'Me Julie'

Comment by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 March 2002

This week Ali G releases his first single, 'Me Julie'. Caroline Sullivan wishes he wouldn't. ...

Charlatans, The (UK): The Charlatans: "Everyone has their share of bad luck don't they?"

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 15 March 2002

Their accountant ran off with £350,000, a keyboard player died on them, and now the lead singer has moved to LA. So what keeps the ...

Zero 7: The Teaboys Done Good: Zero 7

Profile and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 18 March 2002

Paul Lester meets Zero 7, the recording studio flunkies turned clubbers' favourites. ...

Ol' Dirty Bastard, Wu-Tang Clan: Ol' Dirty Bastard: Portrait Of The Artist In Jail

Report and Interview by William Shaw, The Guardian, 22 March 2002

He was the clown prince of hip-hop, famously appearing onstage with the Wu-Tang Clan while on the run from the police. Now Ol' Dirty Bastard ...

Roy Hollingworth, 1949-2002

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 22 March 2002

Colourful critic who embarked on a mission to become a rock star. ...

Tony Wilson: Home entertainment: Tony Wilson on Factory Records

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 29 March 2002

The man behind Manchester's chaotic Factory Records, Joy Division and Happy Mondays takes us through his own back catalogue ...

Sheryl Crow

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 29 March 2002

Sheryl Crow tells Caroline Sullivan about Britney, Beyoncé and the state of rock'n'roll — 'I worry about how these girls are sexualised at such a young ...

Dead Men Walking: Camden Underworld, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 30 March 2002

"THE RESISTANCE starts here!" according to a manifesto penned by Pete "Wah!" Wylie. "It's about the return of rock'n'roll... real songs, not manufactured pap that's ...

Matthew Herbert, Matmos, Nymphomatriarch, Ultra-red, Matt Wand: Music From Unlikely Places: Nymphomatriarch, Matmos, Matthew Herbert, Ultra Red, Matt Wand

Review by David Hemingway, The Guardian, April 2002

NOEL GALLAGHER may attribute Oasis's success to having simply written unpretentious, uncomplicated songs on his guitar, but not everyone shares this fascination with six strings. ...

The BellRays: Rocket, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 4 April 2002

TWO YEARS AGO in this newspaper, Alan McGee decried the "bedwetters" of modern pop. Where, he asked, were "the characters" and "the great rock'n'roll music ...

India.Arie: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by John Aizlewood, The Guardian, 12 April 2002

IN 1997, Erykah Badu's emergence briefly heralded a flurry of female acoustic soul singers. They dressed badly, enjoyed the smell of incense on stage and ...

Lester Bangs: Pills And Thrills

Retrospective by Nick Kent, The Guardian, 12 April 2002

ALTHOUGH HIS NAME is already starting to be listed among the ranks of the elite late 20th-century literary trailblazers, Lester Bangs – the fragile-hearted, drunken ...

Michelle Branch: The Spirit Room

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 12 April 2002

THE SONGWRITERLY BENT of the latest signing to Madonna's label will draw comparisons with Maverick's star turn, Alanis Morissette. The fundamental difference between the queen ...

Half Japanese, Teenage Fanclub: Teenage Fanclub/Jad Fair: Barbican, London

Live Review by John Aizlewood, The Guardian, 25 April 2002

"IS THIS A JOKE?" shouts a disgruntled heckler midway through this unsatisfying evening. "Get off". It doesn't seem to be a joke. The Barbican's Only ...

Lisa Lopes: Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes

Obituary by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 27 April 2002

Rebel hit singer notorious for breaking the old R&B rules. ...

Coil, Mouse On Mars, Plaid: Mouse on Mars, Plaid and Coil: Barbican, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 29 April 2002

THE FINAL CONCERT in the Barbican's Only Connect series sought to explore "the inspiration of the computer game on electronic music", or so it said ...

Elvis Presley, Otis Blackwell: Otis Blackwell 1932 - 2002

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, May 2002

Prolific writer behind some of Elvis’s greatest hits ...

Kosheen: Shepherds Bush Empire, London

Live Review by John Aizlewood, The Guardian, 2 May 2002

THE BRISTOL REVOLUTION of Massive Attack, Portishead and Tricky seems almost a fiction of folk memory in these backwards-looking days of the Strokes and the ...

Fischerspooner: #1

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 3 May 2002

LEADING LIGHTS of the electroclash movement, New York art-fashion strategists Fischerspooner come armed with a manifesto ("Style is substance", superficiality is something to be lauded), ...

The BellRays: Meet the BellRays

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 3 May 2002

POPTONES' last major release, the Hives' debut, was titled Your New Favourite Band, and it obligingly became the label's biggest seller to date. Prudently, the ...

Queen: Mercury Rising: We Will Rock You

Comment by Pete Paphides, The Guardian, 11 May 2002

A new West End musical, We Will Rock You, plunders Queen's back catalogue for tunes. But, says Peter Paphides, it misses the chance to tell ...

Glastonbury

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 17 May 2002

"IF YOU LOOK right through the centre of the Pyramid stage," says Michael Eavis, waving at the steel framework that squats surreally in the middle ...

Arthur Lee, Love: Hard Times: Arthur Lee

Report and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 21 May 2002

Arthur Lee was once bigger than Hendrix or Jim Morrison. Back on the road after six years in jail, Love's frontman talks to Paul Lester. ...

Depeche Mode, Dave Gahan: Dave Gahan: New life

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 26 May 2002

In the early days of Depeche Mode, cider was Dave Gahan's worst vice. Then came speed, smack and a trip to hospital. Now, he tells ...

A. R. Rahman, Andrew Lloyd Webber: Bollywood by numbers

Report and Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 30 May 2002

When Lloyd Webber wanted a composer for his Indian musical, it had to be AR Rahman. ...

Ozzy Osbourne: Meet the Osbournes

Report and Interview by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, June 2002

YOU KNOW THAT embarrassing scenario where you go round to visit a married couple and they end up having an unholy ruck in front of ...

Paul Oakenfold

Interview by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, June 2002

TWO YEARS AGO, Paul Oakenfold was getting profoundly bored. The original post-acid house superstar DJ, known to friends and relatives as ‘Oakey’ and to the ...

God save the toddlers

Report and Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 3 June 2002

Why would anyone want to turn punk classics like 'Pretty Vacant' and 'White Riot' into kids' lullabies? Dave Simpson reports ...

Abba: Supertroupers

Interview by Pete Paphides, The Guardian, 8 June 2002

People were often a bit sneery about Abba, born of Eurovision, duded out in satin and feathers, quintessentially pop. Only years after the group broke ...

The Libertines: Cockpit, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 10 June 2002

THE LIBERTINES are the latest group to be thrust into the ring as the industry tries to find a UK guitar band capable of taking ...

Television: Queen Elizabeth Hall, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 21 June 2002

IT WAS SOMETHING of a coup to recruit Television for David Bowie's Meltdown festival. The glacial new-wavers made rock history with their 1977 debut album, ...

Señor Coconut y Su Conjunto: Royal Festival Hall, London

Live Review by John L. Walters, The Guardian, 29 June 2002

WHAT A TREAT — to sip a cup of Assam in the Festival Hall ballroom while Señor Coconut y Su Conjunto play Kraftwerk cover versions ...

Timothy White 1952-2002

Obituary by Chris Charlesworth, The Guardian, July 2002

IN HIS POLKA-DOT bow tie, cream chinos and white buckskin shoes, Timothy White, who has died aged 50, cut a stylish figure in a profession ...

Charles Mingus, Eric Mingus: Eric Mingus: The big brand

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 4 July 2002

There's the Mingus Big Band, the Mingus Orchestra... and then there's Eric Mingus. He talks to Adam Sweeting about life in a jazz dynasty ...

Speedy Keen, Thunderclap Newman: Speedy Keen, 1945-2002

Obituary by Alan Clayson, The Guardian, 6 July 2002

SPEEDY KEEN, who has died suddenly aged 56, was a mainstay of Thunderclap Newman, the pop outfit responsible for the anthemic 'Something In The Air', ...

Beth Orton: Electric Ballroom, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 11 July 2002

WITH A NEW album, Daybreaker, due at the end of the month, this one-off show was an opportunity for Beth Orton to shake down the ...

Baxter Dury: Len Parrott's Memorial Lift

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 19 July 2002

WARY OF THE FATE that befalls pop offspring who impersonate their parents (hello, Julian Lennon), Baxter Dury has journeyed as far beyond his dad Ian's ...

Isaac Hayes: A Black Woodstock: Wattstax

Retrospective and Interview by James Maycock, The Guardian, 20 July 2002

Intro: This is about 1000 words longer than the version published by The Guardian. There’s much more on the concert, more quotations and more on ...

Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers, Kim Weston: Loud and proud: Wattstax

Retrospective and Interview by James Maycock, The Guardian, 20 July 2002

When Los Angeles erupted in the bloodiest racial uprising of the 1960s, the black citizens of Watts sent a message to the world, demanding that ...

Senor Coconut y su Conjunto: El Baile Aleman (New State Recordings)

Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 16 August 2002

DESPITE HIS name, his album title and the fact that his introduction is in Spanish, Senor Coconut is a German called Uwe Schmidt who fronts ...

Sleater-Kinney: One Beat

Review by John Aizlewood, The Guardian, 16 August 2002

THE RATHER inglorious tradition of shouty punk women began with the Slits, but trio Sleater-Kinney take their cue from long-forgotten compatriots Ut, whose celebration of ...

Toploader: Magic Hotel (S2)

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 16 August 2002

TOPLOADER HAVE "good-time band" imprinted on their DNA. ...

Rosco Gordon, 1928-2002

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 18 August 2002

THE AMERICAN singer and pianist Rosco Gordon, who has died aged 74, was an obscure but influential figure, less in his own idiom of rhythm ...

Spandau Ballet: Wild Boy: Gary Kemp

Retrospective and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 23 August 2002

Spandau Ballet did more than provide a soundtrack for XR3i-driving Essex casuals in the 1980s. At least that's what Gary Kemp, the band's creative force, ...

The Crescent at 100 Club, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 7 September 2002

THE BUBBLING Liverpool scene has produced the weird (the Coral), the weirdly named (Hokum Clones) and the weirdly good (the Bandits). And then there are ...

Mudhoney: Boat Club, Nottingham

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 12 September 2002

BEING AN AMERICAN grunge rocker must be one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Past incumbents, from Nirvana to Alice in Chains to ...

Jeff Beck, John McLaughlin, The White Stripes: Jeff Beck and guests: Royal Festival Hall, London

Live Review by John L. Walters, The Guardian, 17 September 2002

WHATEVER YOUR take on rock guitar heroics, Jeff Beck's three-night South Bank residency was certainly the most miscellaneous gig of the year, and a logistical ...

Avril Lavigne: Mean Fiddler, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 19 September 2002

IT IS EASY TO SEE why Avril Lavigne was snapped up by a major label before she was old enough to drink at most of ...

Beck: I'm a Muso, Baby: Beck

Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 20 September 2002

Beck's new album, written after a nasty split with his fiancee, is so forlorn that the music press is afraid for his health. But, he ...

Aqualung: Who the hell are ... Aqualung

Profile by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 20 September 2002

Aqualung... dreaming of badass rap and bruising beats ...

Cathy Dennis, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark: Songwriters: Musical Chairs

Special Feature by Pete Paphides, The Guardian, 21 September 2002

Today's pop stars, say their critics, aren't half as talented as their predecessors because they have little or nothing to do with writing their songs. ...

Wayne Shorter: After the storm

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 26 September 2002

Wayne Shorter made his name with saxophone pyrotechnics. But now it's all peace and tranquillity — unless you mention Wynton Marsalis ...

Beenie Man: Beenie There, Done That

Interview by Lulu Le Vay, The Guardian, 28 September 2002

One of the biggest stars of Jamaican dancehall, Beenie Man's outgrowing the reggae charts and going global. Lulu Le Vay meets him as he gets ...

Shaggy: It Was Him: Shaggy

Profile and Interview by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, October 2002

THE WESTIN RIO MAR hotel in Puerto Rico is a textbook playground of the rich and famous. Way beyond merely luxurious, the baroque décor is ...

Queens Of The Stone Age: Monarchs of Rock: Queens of the Stone Age

Interview by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, October 2002

"I’VE BEEN CHASING my tail trying to have a good time on this tour," grumbles Josh Homme, the towering 6’ 4" frontman of Queens Of ...

Hear'Say, Gone Tomorrow

Comment by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 1 October 2002

In it for the fame, the manufactured popstars didn't have so much as a slogan to fall back on when the going got tough. Caroline ...

John Otway: All aboard the Otway express

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 3 October 2002

The one-hit wonder behind 'Really Free' is returning to the charts, with a bit of help from Chiltern Railways, Mystic Meg ... and Adam Sweeting ...

Norah Jones at Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 3 October 2002

At 23, Norah Jones is both old beyond her years and curiously insecure in front of an audience, even such a plainly partisan one as ...

The Coral: Newcastle University

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 3 October 2002

THEIR EPONYMOUS DEBUT has made the Coral one of the most talked-about bands of the year. Despite missing out on the Mercury prize last month, ...

Robbie Williams: Robbie's £80m deal puts EMI on new path

Comment by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 5 October 2002

Record giant's move into entertainment business on wider front highlights changing situation at a time when classical market is faltering ...

So Solid Crew: Crew's Control

Profile by Pete Paphides, The Guardian, 5 October 2002

They raced from zero to inner-city heroes in one summer, then stalled in scandal. But don't write off So Solid – there's a serious business ...

Jamie Cullum: So you want to be a jazz star?

Comment by John L. Walters, The Guardian, 11 October 2002

It's the TV show that will never be made — but it would be a lot more fun than Popstars ...

Ginsberg's Flannel And Other Stories

Book Review by Ian Penman, The Guardian, 12 October 2002

In the Sixties, Barry Miles, 322pp, Jonathan Cape, £17.99 ...

Kathryn Williams: Dancehouse, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 14 October 2002

THIS IS THE MUSICAL EQUIVALENT of a late night on someone's sofa: where love and laughter come tumbling out with secrets. The stage set consists ...

Puressence: Liverpool University

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 15 October 2002

AROUND A DECADE AGO, four scruffy Mancunian street urchins took to the stage of London's Tufnell Park Dome. Their music was raw and unformed but ...

Tom Jones, Wyclef Jean: Tom Jones: 'When You're Working With Bling-Blings, You Gotta Wear Bling-Blings'

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 17 October 2002

Caroline Sullivan is left breathless by Tom Jones's hip-hop makeover ...

Foo Fighters: One by One (Roswell/RCA)

Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 18 October 2002

THE RADAR seems to have gone awry in the track sequencing: after sitting through the opening tracks — the blunt metal grunt of 'All My ...

Nickel Creek: Memorial Hall, Sheffield

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 23 October 2002

AS ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES and careers advisers often tell us, presentation is everything. But nobody appears to have told San Diego four-piece Nickel Creek. Formed around ...

(British) Sea Power: British Sea Power: Night and Day, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 24 October 2002

IF TOP OF THE POPS depicts current pop as an endless procession of identically styled wannabes with no discernible individuality, British Sea Power are determined ...

Björk: “In England they think I'm one of the Teletubbies”: Björk

Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 25 October 2002

Björk looks back on two decades of music, fame and scrapping with the media. ...

Feeder: Comfort in Sound

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 25 October 2002

BY THE END of 2001, Welsh rock mid-tablers Feeder had quietly amassed 14 top 75 singles, only one of which, 'Buck Rogers', was familiar to ...

Jeff Buckley: Keeper of the Flame: Jeff Buckley's Mum

Report and Interview by Mark Paytress, The Guardian, 30 October 2002

IT IS FIVE YEARS since Jeff Buckley took his final, mid-evening stroll into the Wolf River, a sleepy tourist spot on the outskirts of Memphis, ...

The Vines: Academy, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 30 October 2002

NO ONE UNDERSTANDS HYPE better than the Vines. Launched in a blaze of hyperbole earlier this year, they have been called everything from the "Australian ...

Justin Timberlake: Justified (Jive) **

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 1 November 2002

SOME SAY in all seriousness that this album of generic R&B crotch-grabbing will establish Britney's former squeeze as the new Michael Jackson. ...

ZZ Top: Apollo, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 2 November 2002

IN A MYTHICAL COMPETITION to find more than seven wonders of the world, ZZ Top's beards must be in with a shout. Although this is ...

Blue (England): Blue: One Love

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 8 November 2002

BLUE'S MELANCHOLY All Rise, probably the only hit of 2001 to feature accordion as lead instrument, was such a sterling example of what thoughtful production ...

Tim Rose, 1940-2002

Obituary by Alan Clayson, The Guardian, 12 November 2002

Singer best known for his 1967 version of the anti-nuclear song 'Morning Dew' ...

Rhythm Kings: The Musicians of Motown

Essay by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 14 November 2002

So many things made the Motown sound special – the singers, the songs, even the food. But what about the musicians? ...

Jefferson Airplane: High Priestess: Grace Slick and ‘White Rabbit’

Retrospective and Interview by Mark Paytress, The Guardian, 15 November 2002

White Rabbit has just come out top in a poll to find the finest drug song ever. Mark Paytress discovers that its writer/singer Grace Slick ...

Seven Inches Of Heaven

Report by Pete Paphides, The Guardian, 16 November 2002

For adolescents, it was a thrill – the first music they owned. Singles survive in the CD age as bootlegs and indie specials. Their covers ...

Joni Mitchell: "I'm quitting this corrupt cesspool"

Report and Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 21 November 2002

Why Joni Mitchell has had it with the music business ...

Diana's Greatest Hits

Comment by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 22 November 2002

NEVER MIND the oak salt cellars and carved ashtrays in Paul Burrell's loft — it was Diana's CDs that give us the real measure of ...

New Order: "We've had it large"

Profile and Interview by Ted Kessler, The Guardian, 22 November 2002

A five-year split, a suicide, financial ruin, heavy cocaine abuse... New Order have survived the lot – and they're nowhere near quitting. Ted Kessler meets ...

Sum 41: Does This Look Infected?

Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 22 November 2002

EAGERLY AWAITED by fans of infant metal, Does This Look Infected? is custom-built to cash in on the success of its predecessor, All Killer No ...

Doves: Octagon, Sheffield

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 23 November 2002

A DOVES GIG isn't exactly like witnessing Bon Jovi. There aren't any rising drum platforms, spinning motorcycles or banks of flailing hair. Nobody says "Rock'n'ROLL!" ...

The Cradle Will Rock: Punk rock for babies

Comment by Pete Paphides, The Guardian, 23 November 2002

Nirvana and the Clash are the perfect bedtime listening for toddlers, reckons new label Punk Rock Baby. Anything for a good night's sleep, says Peter ...

Jesse Malin: Apollo, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 26 November 2002

JESSE MALIN IS TELLING US A STORY. At 11, he says, he was obsessed with having sex with his babysitters. When he got $40 for ...

Nickelback: Sheffield Arena

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 27 November 2002

EVERYTHING ABOUT Nickelback is huge — from their big rock, a more radio-friendly version of Nirvana, to the big truck that brings them to this ...

The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster: Rocket, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 29 November 2002

OF THE MANY odd pop movements born in the 1980s, few were quite so peculiar as psychobilly. A mutant blend of punk, rockabilly and Vincent ...

Patty Griffin: Bush Hall, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 4 December 2002

AFTER COMPLETING A DOZEN DATES supporting Billy Bragg, who played his last gig of the tour at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, Patty Griffin moved around ...

Avril Lavigne, Pink: Riot Girls

Report and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 9 December 2002

Goodbye cheerleaders, hello snarling, smoking punks. Dorian Lynskey on how Pink! made teen pop grow up ...

Fine Young Cannibals: Leadmill, Sheffield

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 13 December 2002

IN 1999, ROLAND Gift told The Guardian: "I'd rather shovel shit than live off my past." Three years on, as the lost soul singer reactivates ...

Girls Aloud: Females with Attitude

Comment by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 16 December 2002

Despite the hype, could reality TV's Girls Aloud be the first girl band to matter since the Spice Girls? ...

Groove Armada: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 16 December 2002

AT FIVE MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT, two stiletto-booted teenage girls were scurrying toward Brixton Academy, clutching each other's hands, as if Nonentity from Pop Idol awaited ...

Jake Thackray, 1939-2002

Obituary by Alan Clayson, The Guardian, 28 December 2002

Original lyricist and founding father of the English chanson. ...

Guns N' Roses: Meltdown

Report by Nick Kent, The Guardian, 3 January 2003

With Guns N' Roses, he was one of the biggest – and baddest – rockers on the planet. Now his new album is a decade ...

N.W.A, So Solid Crew: Why hip-hop must take its share of blame for spread of violence among teenagers

Comment by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 6 January 2003

DOES HIP-HOP glamorise gun culture? It depends who you ask. Guns have been part of the baggage of hip-hop since 1988, when Los Angeles's NWA ...

Kinky: Kinky

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 10 January 2003

THREE YEARS AGO Virgin records had the novel idea of importing a Mexican pop band. Titan were a wacky bunch. Their posters proclaimed a cross ...

The Libertines: 'We Believe In Melody, Hearts And Minds': The Libertines

Profile and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 10 January 2003

PETE DOHERTY and Carl Barat – joint singers, guitarists, songwriters and ideologues of east London-based quartet the Libertines – are having an argument about an ...

Pushing the pressure point

Essay by David Stubbs, The Guardian, 11 January 2003

THE NEWS THAT the Vines have been sent back to Australia, following a bout of Ricky Gervais/Grant Bovey-style pat-a-cakes onstage between singer Craig Nicholls and ...

Penny Valentine 1943 - 2003

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 13 January 2003

Richard Williams mourns "probably the first woman to write about pop music as though it really mattered". Below, some examples of what made Valentine such ...

Glut of rival ceremonies gives industry a sobering warning

Comment by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 14 January 2003

BEFORE ANYONE says a disparaging word about the Brits, as invariably happens around now. bear in mind that, compared with America's stodgy Grammys, they are ...

Lou Reed: The Raven

Review by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 17 January 2003

IF ANYONE IS still wondering, more than a quarter of a century later, what Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music was all about, they need look ...

Rock In The Dock

Comment by Andrew Mueller, The Guardian, 18 January 2003

A FEW WEEKS ago, a nationwide leap in gun crime was lent grim focus by the murder of two young women at a party in ...

Dashboard Confessional: Metro, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 20 January 2003

CRAMMED INTO THE SMALL SPACE in front of the Metro's stage were about 150 people, and half of them seemed to know every word to ...

Audioslave: Astoria, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 21 January 2003

TAKE THREE FORMER MEMBERS of politically correct punk-rappers Rage Against the Machine and add the singer from proto-grungists Soundgarden, and you have got the first ...

Asian Dub Foundation: Rappers With A Cause: Asian Dub Foundation

Report and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 24 January 2003

They helped secure the release of the warehouse worker Satpal Ram from prison. Now they're tackling domestic violence, asylum, the war on terror and the ...

Jay Z: Jay-Z: Get Carter

Interview by Ted Kessler, The Guardian, 25 January 2003

America's favourite hip-hop artist Jay-Z is hanging up his mic. After all, what's left to talk about when you've achieved everything? Ted Kessler raps things ...

Hell Is for Heroes: The Neon Handshake

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 31 January 2003

NAMED AFTER A 1962 STEVE MCQUEEN war film, this London "post-hardcore" five-piece sound authentically irritated. Is it because their skater-boy wallet chains are slapping against ...

The Faint: Underworld Camden

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 3 February 2003

AT FIRST it's hard to know how seriously to take The Faint. They look like they are re-enacting an episode of The Tube from 1981 ...

Low: Parish Church, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 10 February 2003

A FEW YEARS AGO, someone suggested that one way to fill churches would be to throw the doors open to pop concerts. The idea was ...

The Bay City Rollers, Courtney Love: Courtney Love: Love Will Tear Us Apart

Comment by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 14 February 2003

I WISH I'D saved the emails. There were eight, spanning December 1999 to April 2002, all written in unpunctuated lower-case. ...

Linkin Park: Pirate Paranoia

Report by Toby Manning, The Guardian, 15 February 2003

Since the advent of the unholy trinity of internet, MP3 and CD burner, the music industry has gone into piracy tailspin. Toby Manning feels like ...

Zwan: Billy Corgan

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 21 February 2003

BILLY CORGAN has been dreaming of Christina Aguilera, pop's best undressed woman. She was staying at the same London hotel as Corgan's new band, Zwan, ...

Adrian Sherwood: It's My Turn

Profile and Interview by Sheryl Garratt, The Guardian, 24 February 2003

THERE'S NOTHING about the outside of Adrian Sherwood's home in north London to explain why the likes of Sinead O'Connor, Sly and Robbie, Primal Scream ...

Norah Jones: Keeping up with Jones

Report and Interview by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 28 February 2003

Multiple Grammy winner Norah Jones honed her skills in the clubs of New York — and now those dingy venues are bracing themselves for a ...

Turin Brakes: Ether Song (Source) ****

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 28 February 2003

THIS MERCURY- and Brits-nominated duo have a patina of hipness, but their appearance on the launch night of BBC3 unmasked them as aspiring David Grays, ...

Blur, Oasis: Live Forever

Film/DVD/TV Review by David Stubbs, The Guardian, 1 March 2003

THERE ARE MANY reasons to see Live Forever, the new documentary about the 1990s Britpop years. Mostly they involve Noel Gallagher and Damon Albarn being ...

Johnny Paycheck, 1938-2003

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 3 March 2003

DESPITE THE EFFORTS of many producers and publicists, country music has resisted being severed from its roots in southern US working-class life. ...

Har Mar Superstar: Notting Hill Arts Club, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 7 March 2003

IF THE EXHIBITIONIST known to his mother as Harold Martin Tillman is, as yet, a superstar only in his own mind, it's not for lack ...

Linkin Park: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 7 March 2003

WITH EACH successive press release, the sales figures for Linkin Park's debut album, Hybrid Theory, spiral upwards remorselessly — 13m, 14m, now apparently as many ...

Altered Images, The Belle Stars, Dollar, Five Star, The Human League, Visage, Kim Wilde: The Here And Now Tour: Many Happy Returns

Report and Interview by Pete Paphides, The Guardian, 8 March 2003

To some, the Here And Now Tour is a has-beens cabaret, to others it's a harmless trip down memory lane. Peter Paphides reports from the ...

Dirty Vegas: Cockpit, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 11 March 2003

AMERICA HAS LONG BESTOWED huge success on unlikely British groups who barely make it in their homeland: A Flock of Seagulls, the completely unmemorable Fixx ...

Placebo: Astoria, London

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 13 March 2003

PREACHING TO THE CONVERTED: Placebo's set at the Astoria was underpinned by the buzz of low-level hysteria. ...

The Kills: 100 Club, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 15 March 2003

NOT TO BE CONFUSED with the Thrills, the Kills emanate a frigid stylishness that dares anyone to scoff at their ludicrous stage names (somehow, it's ...

Liberty X: City Hall, Sheffield

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 21 March 2003

NOTHING CAPTURES the British public's imagination quite like a victorious underdog. A year ago Jessica, Kelli, Tony, Michelle and Kevin were rejected by the Popstars ...

Wayne Shorter, Weather Report: Wayne Shorter: Alegria (Verve)

Review by John L. Walters, The Guardian, 21 March 2003

SAXOPHONIST WAYNE SHORTER still towers over contemporary jazz. Over four decades he's combined compositional flair with an original and masterly command of tenor and soprano ...

Interpol: Astoria, London

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 26 March 2003

IT SEEMS ALMOST QUAINT these days to protest that a band is derivative. Not so long ago bands would talk themselves hoarse in defence of ...

Mis-Teeq: Eye Candy

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 28 March 2003

WITH THEIR SECOND ALBUM, Mis-Teeq shift further from their garage roots towards the more internationally lucrative R&B. ...

The White Stripes: The Sweetheart Deal

Interview by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 29 March 2003

"SPERAMUS MELIORA; resurget cineribus" – the motto of the city of Detroit translates as "We hope for better things; it will rise from the ashes". ...

Inspiral Carpets: Leeds University

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 3 April 2003

OF THE SO-CALLED "Holy Triumvirate" that rescued British pop in the early 1990s, Inspiral Carpets always plays third fiddle to the Stone Roses and Happy ...

Edwin Starr

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 4 April 2003

AMONG THE CHANTS and songs accompanying this year's anti-war marches a reprised relic first sung by African American soul musician Edwin Starr, who has died, ...

Mull Historical Society: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 7 April 2003

ALTHOUGH COLIN MACINTYRE claims that there are no record shops on the isle of Mull, that doesn't appear to have prevented him from squeezing a ...

David Gates: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 11 April 2003

THOUGH GENERALLY OVERLOOKED in polls of top soft-rock songwriters, the former Bread frontman David Gates merits a place up there with Bacharach and the Bee ...

Roachford: Jazz Cafe, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 11 April 2003

BACK IN THE LATE 1980s, Andrew Roachford was signed to CBS and scored hits with the likes of 'Cuddly Toy', 'Family Man' and 'Kathleen'. Then ...

Little Eva

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 14 April 2003

IT WAS HARDLY an original piece of choreography, but 'The Loco-motion' was certainly one of the most impressive records produced by the early 1960s vogue ...

The Mars Volta: Mean Fiddler, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 16 April 2003

NO MUSICAL GENRE unites generations in revulsion quite like prog-rock. Decades on, it remains the pariah of pop, the only 1970s style that has never ...

Fleetwood Mac: Excess Baggage: Fleetwood Mac

Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 18 April 2003

Mental illness, drug abuse, affairs, breakups - it's a miracle that Fleetwood Mac are still alive. But here they are with a Rumours-era lineup, and ...

The Bluetones: Cockpit, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 21 April 2003

WHILE BLUR AND OASIS can flit from mansion to stadium, fate has been less generous to Britpop's other leading lights. While many have abandoned pop ...

Cradle of Filth: The Astoria, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 23 April 2003

Can a "black metal" band be properly satanic if the bassist is called Dave? This is one of several contradictions posed by the genre's only ...

Blur: Think Tank

Review and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 25 April 2003

Backstage at L'Espace Clacquesin, a former brewery 20 minutes from the centre of Paris, Blur are relaxing. The band has just performed for 200 invited ...

Beck: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 29 April 2003

AS A PROFESSIONAL ENIGMA, Beck Hansen has a reputation to maintain, and it is tiring work. He feels compelled to stay one step ahead of ...

S Club 7: That's showbiz!

Comment by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 30 April 2003

S Club are mystified as to how they only made £400,000 each to their manager's £50m. It's called talent. ...

Busted: You Are So Busted!

Report and Interview by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, May 2003

THE WORDS ARE TALL, luridly colourful and carefully stitched onto a bed sheet, and the sentiment is unambiguous. As Busted guitarist Matt Jay’s eyes alight ...

Panjabi MC: The Album (Dharma/Showbiz)

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 2 May 2003

PANJABI MC has already provided one of the most refreshing hits of the year with January's 'Mundian To Bach Ke', which fused bhangra, breakbeats and ...

Four Tet: Scala, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 20 May 2003

YOU COULDN'T ACCUSE Kieran Hebden, alias Four Tet, of lack of ambition. Now 25, he has already made eight albums, four as Four Tet and ...

Macy Gray: Shepherds Bush Empire, London ***

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 21 May 2003

HER RECORD COMPANY had spent the day warning everybody that she would be on stage at 9pm, not 9.15pm as advertised, but in the end ...

Neil Young: "Will I be deported?"

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 22 May 2003

IT IS DIFFICULT to find supportive things to say about George Bush unless your construction company is rebuilding Iraq, but it would be a droll ...

The Dandy Warhols: Dandy Warhols: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 26 May 2003

WELL, HERE'S A THING. An Oregon band best known for adopting the Spinal Tap adage "Have a good time all the time" are enchanting an ...

Adam Masterson: Younger and wiser

Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 27 May 2003

THE GLUT OF ARTISTS working in the alt-country and folk-rock areas might be a logical reaction against the treacly deluge of pubescent pop, but there ...

Busted: Apollo, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 29 May 2003

EARLIER THIS WEEK it emerged that government expenditure of £650m has failed to make much of an impact on truancy. Perhaps it's time ministers consulted ...

Jason Mraz: Waiting for My Rocket to Come

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 6 June 2003

THE COVER DEPICTS the 25-year-old Virginia singer-songwriter sat in the gutter with a cockerel, haplessly waiting for the rocket of fame to hit him. ...

OK Go: Rescue Rooms, Nottingham

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 11 June 2003

WITH THE STROKES at one end of the spectrum and Busted at the other, powerpop is gradually replacing dance music as the chief currency in ...

Steely Dan: Everything Must Go

Review by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 13 June 2003

UNIQUE AMONG contemporary musicians, the post-comeback Steely Dan make records that are more fun to read than to listen to. ...

The American Song-Poem Anthology: Music By The Metre

Review by David Stubbs, The Guardian, 20 June 2003

SO YOU THINK it's only since the rise of manufactured pop, with its endless boy and girl bands, each a more faded and insipid photocopy ...

Happy Mondays: Shaun Ryder: "I look all right, don't I?"

Interview by Ted Kessler, The Guardian, 20 June 2003

Two years ago Shaun Ryder was finished. He had lost his money, his mates and the plot. With a new album out, he tells Ted ...

Bonnie Raitt: Apollo, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 21 June 2003

IF SHE HADN'T SOLD MILLIONS of country-blues-rock records and won a stetson-full of Grammies, Bonnie Raitt could have had a career peddling the secrets of ...

Har Mar Superstar: Beats working

Interview by Simon Price, The Guardian, 21 June 2003

Life's just one long party for doughy exhibitionist Har Mar Superstar, as he heads to Ibiza for a weekly residency at Manumission. Simon Price helps ...

The Seeds: Borderline, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 24 June 2003

THEY HAD A QUESTION about psychedelic California bands on University Challenge the other night, but the Seeds didn't get a mention. About all anybody can ...

Fun Lovin' Criminals: Royal Festival Hall, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 25 June 2003

THE NATURAL HABITAT of the Fun Lovin' Criminals is some sweat-soaked cavern like the Astoria, so the cool formality of the Festival Hall could easily ...

Kelly Osbourne: Rock City, Nottingham

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 26 June 2003

KELLY OSBOURNE URGES THE AUDIENCE to put their hands in the air. The boys are instructed to make fists and the girls to hold up ...

Good Charlotte: Astoria, London **

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 2 July 2003

THE MALADJUSTED young of the 1980s looked for comfort to the Smiths, whose main role was to assure British youth that, no matter how miserable ...

Ministry: Academy, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 3 July 2003

BEFORE MARILYN MANSON and Nine Inch Nails, Chicago's Ministry pioneered industrial music and outrage. Journalists visiting the studio of Al Jourgensen and Paul Barker would ...

Monica: After the Storm

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 4 July 2003

THIS FORMER TEEN R&B SENSATION has spent the five years since her last album "dealing with my own development" — showbiz-speak for "pondering ways of ...

Yo La Tengo: City Varieties, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 7 July 2003

YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT with Yo La Tengo. The Hoboken veterans' 11 albums cover bouncy surf-pop, frazzled Velvet Underground noise and jazz doodling. ...

Kings of Leon: Electric Ballroom, London ***

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 14 July 2003

THE SUREST SIGN that Kings of Leon are having a moment is the 180 requests for this show's 40 press tickets. ...

Sparklehorse: Manchester University

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 17 July 2003

SPARKLEHORSE'S MARK LINKOUS had a dramatic start to an enduring career. In 1996, he was briefly clinically dead after an overdose of Valium and antidepressants. ...

Kosheen: Scala, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 19 July 2003

KOSHEEN'S AMIABLE TRIP-HOP ticks all the Espace generation's boxes: the Bristol trio have been endorsed by Ronan Keating and nominated in the watered-down dance category ...

Terry Hall: Fun Boy Free: Terry Hall

Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 22 July 2003

TERRY HALL asks if we can delay the first question until he's had a cigarette. He's not a big small talker, so there's an awkward ...

Bebel Gilberto: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by John L. Walters, The Guardian, 25 July 2003

BEBEL GILBERTO'S Tanto Tempo was the great summer album of 2000. And 2001. And 2002. ...

Cracker: Countrysides

Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 25 July 2003

Probably inspired by the pea-brained rantings of George Bush and his Bible-bashing cronies, Cracker decided the only way forward in these difficult times was to ...

Cracker: Countrysides

Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 25 July 2003

PROBABLY INSPIRED by the pea-brained rantings of George Bush and his Bible-bashing cronies, Cracker decided the only way forward in these difficult times was to ...

Shack: Manchester University

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 29 July 2003

SHACK'S MICK HEAD has had a few plaudits hurled his way: in 1999 the NME put him on the front cover and billed him as ...

Donald Fagen: Kamakiriad

Film/DVD/TV Review by John L. Walters, The Guardian, 1 August 2003

THE MAIN REASONS for buying a DVD of Donald Fagen's Kamakiriad are sonic: the crisp intelligence of the songwriting is matched by the sumptuous clarity ...

Kosheen: Kokopelli

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 1 August 2003

WITH BRITAIN'S OBSESSION with dance music finally dwindling, Bristol's Kosheen have ditched the million-selling formula of 2001's Resist for something altogether darker and rockier. ...

Lisa Maffia: First Lady

Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 1 August 2003

JUST BECAUSE So Solid Crew are paranoid, it doesn't mean someone isn't after them. Since the 30-odd-strong UK garage cartel emerged from Battersea in south ...

Closing Time

Essay by David Stubbs, The Guardian, 2 August 2003

ON JULY 3, the House Of Lords failed to block government moves to introduce a new law requiring pubs, clubs and cafes to apply for ...

Dashboard Confessional: A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar

Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 8 August 2003

EMO IS THE VARIANT of punk-pop that favours sensitivity and intelligence over beer and boobies, and Dashboard Confessional are its leading lights. ...

Eliza Carthy, Fred Frith, David Toop: On the Edge: Sunny delights

Column by John L. Walters, The Guardian, 8 August 2003

In hot weather, some tunes just have to be heard in the great outdoors says John L Walters ...

Ash: Somerset House, London

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 11 August 2003

IT'S A GOOD TIME TO BE ASH. After the failure of 1998's leathery, unconvincing Nu-Clear Sounds, they were facing bankruptcy, destined to be remembered as ...

Alien Ant Farm: Mean Fiddler

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 22 August 2003

ON TOUR LAST YEAR, Alien Ant Farm were involved in a bus crash in Spain, which left their driver dead and the band traumatised and ...

Seal: Linbury Studio Theatre, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 28 August 2003

SEAL'S GOLDEN VOICE is the stuff of which summer weekends are made, so he has missed a trick by scheduling his new album for September, ...

Snow Patrol: Witchwood, Ashton-Under-Lyne

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 29 August 2003

SNOW PATROL have had a curious journey. They began as Belfast popsters the Polar Bears. Then they moved to Glasgow and became fey, jangly contemporaries ...

Josh Rouse: 1972

Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 5 September 2003

FOR NEBRASKA-BORN, Nashville-dwelling Josh Rouse, the choice of title is simple: "It's the year I was born." It was also the year his favourite Telecaster ...

The Rapture: A New York State Of Mind

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 6 September 2003

Out of time, ahead of fashion – the Rapture are the real sound of New York. If they can make it there, says Caroline Sullivan, ...

Ian MacDonald, 1948-2003

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 8 September 2003

PROBABLY NO other critic – not even the late William Mann of The Times, with his famous mention of pandiatonic clusters – contributed more to ...

Matchbox 20: Matchbox Twenty: Apollo, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 11 September 2003

AS WITH AMERICAN GAS-GUZZLING CARS, the big blustery rock band is a species under threat. Stereophonics' new album is a mere platinum (its predecessor was ...

David Bowie: Reality

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 12 September 2003

LIKE ALL PROPER Dave albums, Bowie's 26th has at its core a concept, around which 11 songs uneasily cluster to articulate the master's daft vision. ...

The Dixie Chicks: Dixie Chicks: Birmingham NEC

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 12 September 2003

"ANYONE AWARE of the incident March 10?" asks singer Natalie Maines, referring to the band's last UK visit, when a remark that she was "ashamed" ...

Erin McKeown: Grand

Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 12 September 2003

ERIN MCKEOWN is a singer-songwriter introvert who just happens to be partial to pop and a bit of jazz. She writes intriguing (if slightly fussy) ...

She Bop II: Rock Chicks Fight Back

Comment by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 13 September 2003

Lucy O'Brien reflects on her monumental history of the music business ...

Spiritualized: Leadmill, Sheffield

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 15 September 2003

THERE ARE RULES that generally apply at rock concerts. Artists tend to speak to the audience, if only to say "Hello", lead singers tend to ...

Rancid: Apollo, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 16 September 2003

ALTHOUGH PUNK ROCK is still reeling from the death of Clash icon Joe Strummer, the movement is probably in its healthiest commercial state for 25 ...

It's A Family Affair

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 25 September 2003

Juggling a baby and a career is difficult enough for anyone – but how do you manage it when you're a pop star? Caroline Sullivan ...

Jamie Cullum: Bright Young Thing

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 25 September 2003

At 24, Jamie Cullum has a £1m record deal and a Mobo nomination. He talks to Caroline Sullivan about Nirvana, Prince William, and his mission ...

Robert Palmer, 1949-2003

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 27 September 2003

BORN IN BATLEY, Yorkshire, and raised in Malta (his father was a naval officer), Palmer had a voice that could be suave and gritty by ...

The Band of Blacky Ranchette: Still Lookin' Good To Me

Review by Sylvie Simmons, The Guardian, 2 October 2003

...

Fannypack: Beastie girls

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 6 October 2003

Fannypack are young, smutty and fresh — and they might just make hip-hop fun again. Caroline Sullivan meets them. ...

Fannypack: So Stylistic

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 10 October 2003

EVER SINCE the Beastie Boys went serious and Salt 'n' Pepa pushed it as far as they could, the world has lacked an act who ...

The Electric Soft Parade: The American Adventure

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 10 October 2003

THIS BRIGHTON brother-act have survived a Mercury prize nomination (for last year's debut, Holes in the Wall), a Q award for best newcomer and a ...

The Thrills: Filesharing etc.: Money Pit

Comment by Pete Paphides, The Guardian, 11 October 2003

Who are the victims of music filesharing? Peter Paphides reveals the real band of thieves ...

Damien Rice: Metropolitan University, Leeds ***

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 14 October 2003

DAVID GRAY achieved his first major success in Ireland, something else he has in common with Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice. They share the same management ...

Sugababes: Wanna be in our gang?

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 17 October 2003

Sugababes were 15 when they released their first single. Three years and one line-up change later, they are the coolest, smartest girl band in the ...

Thea Gilmore: "It's sad the lengths girls go to, pouting on the cover of their CD"

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 23 October 2003

Thea Gilmore has released five albums, received rave reviews and turned down endless offers from major labels. And she's still only 23. She talks to ...

Thea Gilmore, Adam Masterson: Thea Gilmore/Adam Masterson: Liverpool University

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 27 October 2003

WITH SO MANY SINGER-SONGWRITERS around, establishing an individual identity has never been more difficult. When Adam Masterson cranks up his croaky voice and harmonica, the ...

Amy Winehouse: Dietrich with a nose-stud

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 28 October 2003

Her voice belongs in a 1940s jazz bar. But Amy Winehouse may be the future of hip-hop. Dave Simpson meets her ...

Hot Hot Heat: The Next Skinny Thing

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 3 November 2003

They're polite, prefer video games to groupies - and they're Canadian. Can Hot Hot Heat really be the new Strokes? Caroline Sullivan meets them. ...

Beyoncé: Manchester Arena


Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 4 November 2003

SOME WHILE after Beyoncé is due on stage, a voice announces that the support act won't be appearing and that Beyoncé will be with us ...

Blondie: Academy, Liverpool

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 15 November 2003

ONE OF THE PROBLEMS with seeing "classic" bands some 20 years on is the physical decline, particularly in the case of a band like Blondie. ...

Chic, Tony Thompson: Tony Thompson

Obituary by Daryl Easlea, The Guardian, 15 November 2003

TONY THOMPSON, WHO has died of cancer aged 48, was among the finest of all pop/rock drummers. Although his name is frequently absent from the ...

Kylie Minogue: The Butt Stops Here

Comment by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 19 November 2003

So she's 35, but does that really mean Kylie should cover up, asks Caroline Sullivan ...

Michael Jackson: No more mileage in being Wacko

Comment by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 21 November 2003

MICHAEL JACKSON's efforts to maintain his self-proclaimed status as "the king of pop" are looking desperate as the passage of time and profound changes in ...

Ryan Adams: "I've Been Jumping Off Bridges"

Interview by Sylvie Simmons, The Guardian, 21 November 2003

THE ONE GOOD thing about projectile vomiting is that at least your T-shirt stays clean. Ryan Adams's frat-house top is a spotless scarlet, its brightness ...

The Thrills: Weirdo Magnets: The Thrills

Report and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 21 November 2003

IT IS A COLD but sunny Saturday lunchtime in Capitol Hill, a boho district of Seattle full of cafes and shops with names like Natural ...

Bob Dylan: Why I Love Bob Dylan

Comment by Martin Colyer, The Guardian, 25 November 2003

LAST SATURDAY IT was forty years ago that JFK was assassinated. Yet by November 1963, Bob Dylan had already been performing in Greenwich Village for ...

Last Christmas, I gave you my chart

Column by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 26 November 2003

Caroline Sullivan is appalled by this year's efforts for the Chrismas No 1, but finds some consolation in the thought that next year the singles ...

Stellastarr*: Islington Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 26 November 2003

TO HEAR THE GOTHY GUSHINGS of the current intake of New York art-rockers, you'd think the decade that inspires them, the 80s, began and ended ...

Wyclef Jean: "I preach to the streets"

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 28 November 2003

Why did Wyclef Jean help Tom Jones do hip-hop? Why has he got 62 guns? And what's he doing with 20,000 songs on a Dictaphone? ...

The Guitar: Axes To Grind

Comment by Andrew Mueller, The Guardian, 29 November 2003

ACCORDING TO A body of instrument suppliers called the Music Industries Association, in the last 12 months the British people bought no less than 700,000 ...

Belle and Sebastian: City Hall, Sheffield

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 4 December 2003

THE OLD "GREAT ON RECORD, BUT DON'T SEE THEM LIVE" adage could have been invented for Belle and Sebastian. Folk who've witnessed their gigs recount ...

Amy Winehouse: Bush Hall, London ***½

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 5 December 2003

YOU WAIT ALL millennium for a commercial but unembarrassing British female singer, then two come along within weeks of each other.  ...

Explosions in the Sky: The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 5 December 2003

IF THE IDEA of an album of instrumentals filled with titles such as 'First Breath After Coma' sounds like heavy going, this Texan four-piece are ...

Electric Six: Leeds Metropolitan University

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 6 December 2003

IN JUNE THIS YEAR, Detroit pranksters Electric Six crammed the traditional pop rise, fall and rise again into one bizarre moment when they split up ...

Basement Jaxx: Leeds University

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 10 December 2003

THE MOOD OF CRISIS in dance music won't have been helped by this week's news that ecstasy use is in decline. For dance music's acts ...

Nickelback: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 10 December 2003

MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE they're from Vancouver, but Nickelback are a different species from the current wave of fashionable US metal. Whereas the likes of Korn ...

Gogol Bordello: Garage, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 13 December 2003

GOGOL BORDELLO'S UKRAINIAN GYPSY lead singer, Eugene Hutz, calls his band "an orchestra of fucking immigrants, jamming in A minor". Hutz has the kind of ...

The Durutti Column: Manchester University

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 15 December 2003

THE DURUTTI COLUMN were the first signings to Factory Records before the label went all Joy Division-shaped. Frontman Vini Reilly co-wrote Morrissey's first solo hit ...

Rickie Lee Jones: Bloomsbury Theatre, London

Live Review by John L. Walters, The Guardian, 16 December 2003

NINE MUSICIANS stroll on to a stage packed with stringed instruments, keyboards, horns and percussion. Four of them are wearing hats, and under the coolest ...

Saint Etienne: Palladium, London

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 16 December 2003

IN ANOTHER LIFE, Saint Etienne are pop royalty. In this one they practice a kind of pop-not-pop: exquisitely crafted and arranged songs that are always ...

Ed Harcourt: Bush Hall, London

Live Review by Sylvie Simmons, The Guardian, 18 December 2003

THE SOUND MAN is got up as Santa and a roadie is dressed as an elf. There's tinsel around the mic stand and an inflatable ...

David Bowie, Neil Young: No More Heroes

Comment by Nick Kent, The Guardian, 19 December 2003

THE BEST THING you can say about 2003 is that it's almost over. ...

Michelle McManus: The stars in our eyes

Comment by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 30 December 2003

Pop Idol winner Michelle McManus may claim to be happy with her size, but pop's obsession with image could well put an end to that, ...

Elton John: How Sir Elton Recovered His Cool

Comment by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 2004

WHEN THE VERY first psychedelic rock star, William Blake, declared that the fool who persists in his folly shall become wise, he hit on a ...

Scissor Sisters: Fun with Filth: Scissor Sisters

Report and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 9 January 2004

They come from New York's shock art scene and they write songs about drugs, drag queens and cruising. Paul Lester meets clubland's hottest new act, ...

Blak Twang: Cargo, London

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 16 January 2004

BY THE STANDARDS of British hip-hop, Blak Twang (aka Tony Olabode) is a crusty old veteran. It's hard work playing the Americans at their own ...

Joss Stone: The Soul Sessions

Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 16 January 2004

THERE'S NO MISSING the thrill of novelty that runs through recent coverage of Joss Stone. See! a white Devon teenager become America's newest soul sensation. ...

North Mississippi Allstars: Borderline, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 19 January 2004

THE NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS are the "best blues-rock band in the world", according to Barry, the Borderline's promoter, and he's probably right. The Allstars first ...

Brian Wilson — Grin and bear it

Interview by Sylvie Simmons, The Guardian, 23 January 2004

WHEN BRIAN WILSON had his nervous breakdown in the 1960s, he was working on a concept album called Smile. His fellow Beach Boys dismissed it ...

Razorlight: Cockpit, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 23 January 2004

NEWCOMERS RAZORLIGHT are proof that pop careers are being built ever faster. The London band were signed to the Vertigo label last year in the ...

Sia: Cargo, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 17 February 2004

IS SIA FURLER destined to join the roll-call of great Australians, up there with Kylie, Edna Everage and Mel Gibson? She is probably too self-effacing ...

Keane: Joseph's Well, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 19 February 2004

IT MAY BE SYNONYMOUS WITH 1066 and the Battle of Hastings, but the Sussex town of Battle doesn't call much else to mind, least of ...

Doris Troy, 1937-2004

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 20 February 2004

ALTHOUGH SHE was born in the Bronx, and first came to prominence in the US with her 1963 hit 'Just One Look', Doris Troy, who ...

N.E.R.D., Pharrell Williams: The Hit Man: Pharrell Williams

Profile and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 20 February 2004

He co-produced nearly 20% of tracks currently being played on British radio. But he is also a star in his own right - as a ...

Rhyme and Punishment

Comment by Andrew Mueller, The Guardian, 21 February 2004

YOU MAY HAVE heard this yarn – it's one of those things people email each other, that they might share a chuckle at the foibles ...

Atomic Kitten: Manchester Arena

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 23 February 2004

THE OFFICIAL LINE is that Atomic Kitten are taking time off mainly so that Natasha Hamilton can look after her young son, Josh. However, a ...

Brian Wilson: Royal Festival Hall, London

Live Review by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 23 February 2004

SO HOW GOOD, finally, is Smile, the great lost song cycle that Brian Wilson kept the world waiting 37 years to hear? The only possible ...

Monster Magnet: Manchester University

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 24 February 2004

MONSTER MAGNET have always displayed an ability to be in the right place at the right time. Formed in 1989, when Nirvana's fury revitalised all ...

Bees, The (Isle of Wight): The Bees: ULU, London

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 24 February 2004

YOU'D THINK THAT A STRANGER emerging from a backstage area with four of the headlining band's guitars would look suspicious, but evidently not suspicious enough. ...

Katie Melua: Barbican, York

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 8 March 2004

FEW ARTISTS CAN BOAST a number one album at the age of 19, but the most curious aspect of Katie Melua's success is her audience. ...

My Bloody Valentine: I Lost It: Kevin Shields Speaks

Profile and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 12 March 2004

In his first interview for 12 years, My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields talks to Paul Lester about his madness, making Alan McGee cry - and ...

David Axelrod: Royal Festival Hall, London

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 19 March 2004

THE SNOWY-HAIRED, bespectacled 67-year-old on stage makes an unlikely hip-hop hero — but David Axelrod's funky, filmic back catalogue has provided rich pickings for producers ...

Pink: Birmingham NEC

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 22 March 2004

EVERY NIGHT, Pink goes down on Christina Aguilera. She pins her to the floor and dominates her sexually before serenading her with one of her ...

Vilayat Khan 1928–2004

Obituary by Ken Hunt, The Guardian, 25 March 2004

One of the greatest sitar players of his age ...

Jan & Dean: Jan Berry

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 2 April 2004

Teen dream and surf-pop star ...

Morrissey: "Somebody Has To Be Me": Morrissey

Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 9 April 2004

NOW 44, STEVEN Patrick Morrissey is, to quote one of his songs, a handsome devil. ...

My Chemical Romance: I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love (Polydor) ***

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 9 April 2004

ALTHOUGH My Chemical Romance have tried to spice up their image by nicknaming their patch of suburban New Jersey "the Crimezone", it would be surprising ...

Richmond Fontaine: Post To Wire

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 16 April 2004

RICHMOND FONTAINE frontman Willy Vlautin has a growing reputation as the writer of some of the most depressing songs in America. In his narrated snapshots ...

Stairway To Hell

Essay by Nick Kent, The Guardian, 19 April 2004

THEY ASKED ME to write this piece about "self-destruction and its place in rock" and that immediately set me to thinking: what do they mean ...

Supergrass: Watching the 'Grass grow

Interview by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 24 April 2004

A decade in the music business hasn't hurt Supergrass. In fact, they're quite happy with their status as Britain's fifth favourite band, finds Ian Gittins. ...

Jolie Holland: Bush Hall, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 6 May 2004

AMY WINEHOUSE happened to be playing around the corner when Jolie Holland was making her London debut, a fact worth mentioning because both singers are ...

John Martyn: The Lowry, Salford

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 8 May 2004

IF JOHN MARTYN hadn't become a folk/blues/rock legend, he could have knocked out a career as a mimic. At one point, he perfectly impersonates Alf ...

Earl Okin: The Unluckiest Man In Pop

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 10 May 2004

After 35 years in the business, Earl Okin is about to release his first album. He tells Caroline Sullivan why it's taken him so long ...

Terry Allen: Lock 17, London

Live Review by Sylvie Simmons, The Guardian, 13 May 2004

OF ALL OF THE underground country artists from the Texas panhandle (Joe Ely, Butch Hancock, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, etc) none is as quite as maverick, ...

Kanye West: Forum, London

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 20 May 2004

A PROTEGE OF Jay-Z and Damon Dash, Kanye West is not one to hide his light under a bushel. ...

Jesse Malin: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 27 May 2004

JESSE MALIN'S THROUGH-A-BEER-GLASS-DARKLY take on American rock wouldn't be nearly as fashionable if it was sold under the name John Mellencamp. It just goes to ...

Devendra Banhart: ICA, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 2 June 2004

AS HIS FIRST NAME SUGGESTS, Devendra Banhart's parents were "alternative" types. He has certainly done them proud, growing up into a folk-hippy with a beard ...

Kasabian: Field Of Dreams

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 10 June 2004

The true spirit of Glastonbury is alive and well — but you'll find it at a farm in Leicester not Somerset. Dave Simpson meets Kasabian ...

Jamelia: Civic Hall, Wolverhampton

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 11 June 2004

THERE'S OFTEN A GULF on the live circuit now between current acts with records to promote and returning veterans with back catalogues, which is unfortunately ...

Tim Booth: Bone

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 11 June 2004

THE OLD Rock Stars' Home that is Sanctuary Records has a new resident in the former James singer, and on his first solo album he ...

Ray Charles, 1930-2004

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 12 June 2004

DURING THE 1960S, a generation of teenagers discovered America's hidden music of black blues, gospel and soul, and many of them promptly fissured into followings ...

The Concretes: The Concretes

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 18 June 2004

This Swedish eight-piece is half band, half cottage industry: they design their own sleeves, direct their own animated videos and, for good measure, are sending ...

The unfortunate incident of the log in the night-time: Glasto on the box

Comment by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 21 June 2004

Caroline Sullivan will be enjoying Glastonbury from the safety of her sofa. She explains why she's delighted ...

Feist: Bush Hall, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 6 July 2004

THIS VENUE has recently hosted a succession of newish female songwriters — Polly Paulusma, Jolie Holland -—who are doing a good job of making Dido ...

Dogs Die in Hot Cars: Please Describe Yourself

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 9 July 2004

Shame it's too late to change their terrible name, because Dogs Die in Hot Cars will find it splashed all over the place if their ...

Slash, Velvet Revolver: Slash: "I died. I do remember that."

Profile and Interview by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 9 July 2004

When three battered ex-junkies from Guns N'Roses got together to form Velvet Revolver, the cynics got ready for a flop. Guitarist Slash tells Adam Sweeting ...

Polyphonic Spew

Comment by Andrew Mueller, The Guardian, 10 July 2004

THERE IS NO PERSON more deluded than he or she who has a song programmed into their mobile phone. ...

Syreeta, 1946-2004

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 13 July 2004

Stevie Wonder's partner in music and (briefly) marriage ...

Burrito Deluxe: Borderline, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 15 July 2004

Veterans don't come more gnarled and whiskery than the cast of Burrito Deluxe, whose five members have been plying their trade for decades. In steel ...

Burrito Deluxe: Borderline, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 16 July 2004

VETERANS DON'T come more gnarled and whiskery than the cast of Burrito Deluxe, whose five members have been plying their trade for decades. In steel ...

Joss Stone: The Guardian profile: Joss Stone

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 23 July 2004

WITH HER ASTONISHINGLY MATURE, emotive black soul voice the Devon teenager is an R&B sensation in the US and a talent that knocks "reality-pop" for ...

Razorlight: Johnny Borrell: "I don't even look human"

Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 28 July 2004

He claims to be a better songwriter than Bob Dylan and has likened himself to Charles Dickens. But is there more to Johnny Borrell, the ...

Hank Dogs: Half Smile

Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 30 July 2004

THIS GENERATION-crossing family outfit's second album was originally recorded for Nick Drake producer Joe Boyd's Hannibal label, but not released. It emerged in America two ...

Pete Doherty: Peter Doherty: Fez Club, Sheffield

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 31 July 2004

IN recent weeks, Peter Doherty has been reported as having racked up a heroin/crack addiction costing £250 a day, skipped out on three attempts at ...

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings: Shepherds Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 2 August 2004

"WE LOVE PLAYING HERE," Gillian Welch told us more than once, and since she and her musical soulmate David Rawlings were on for more than ...

Pere Ubu, Spiritualized: Spiritualized/Pere Ubu: Royal Festival Hall, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 4 August 2004

THIRTY YEARS INTO their career, Cleveland art-punks Pere Ubu remain engaging mavericks. ...

Har Mar Superstar: Welly Club, Hull

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 5 August 2004

THE WELLY isn't a place you'd expect to find a "superstar". Its name implies somewhere you'd only really want to step into when it's raining; ...

Finn Brothers: The Finn Brothers: Everyone is Here

Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 6 August 2004

THANKS TO THEIR COLLECTIVE experience with Crowded House and Split Enz, Neil and Tim Finn ought to have learned a bit about this songwriting malarkey ...

Hayseed Dixie: Borderline, London

Live Review by Sylvie Simmons, The Guardian, 12 August 2004

"I'M HERE TO TESTIFY", says front man Barley Scotch in one of many beer-fuelled, between-song spiels, "that Hank Williams' 'Lost Highway' and AC/DC's 'Highway to ...

The Dears: Who the hell are The Dears?

Profile by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 27 August 2004

So, who the hell are they? Canadians Murray Lightburn (vocals/guitar), Natalia Yanchak (keyboards/vocals), Valerie Jodoin-Keaton (keyboards/flute), Martin Pelland (bass), George Donoso III (drums) and Patrick ...

Laura Branigan, 1952-2004

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 31 August 2004

LAURA BRANIGAN, who has died of a brain aneurysm aged 47, was a powerful singer with a five-octave range who in an earlier generation would ...

Howe Gelb, Giant Sand: Howe Gelb: True Grit

Interview by Sylvie Simmons, The Guardian, 3 September 2004

Howe Gelb, of Giant Sand, may be the hardest-working man in alt-country. But as he releases yet another record, he'd rather talk about mojitos and ...

Beenie Man: Tatchell v Beenie Man: Arrest This Development

Comment by Andrew Mueller, The Guardian, 4 September 2004

LET'S HOPE THAT no friends of the Jamaican dancehall artist Beenie Man have recently reminded him that the only thing worse than being talked about ...

LeAnn Rimes: Birmingham NIA

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 16 September 2004

GENERATIONS OF HAPLESS YOUNG MEN have been attracted by the archetypal "girl next door" on the grounds that beneath that innocent exterior lurks some undiscovered ...

Girls Aloud: How I Became a Girl Aloud

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 17 September 2004

Caroline Sullivan spends a week in the shoes — the very painful shoes — of the UK's number one girl band ...

Interpol: Antics

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 24 September 2004

ON PAPER, Interpol's second album should offer more grist to the mill of those who think they're too indebted to Joy Division. ...

McFly: Wolverhampton Civic Hall

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 24 September 2004

SIGNS IN WOLVERHAMPTON CIVIC HALL READ: "Tonight's concert will be very loud. Ear defenders are available on request." The danger comes not from McFly but ...

Estelle: "The only way I'm going on the cover of FHM is in a body bag"

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 27 September 2004

Estelle, the loudest new voice in hip-hop, talks to Dave Simpson ...

Manic Street Preachers: Not So Manic Now: Manic Street Preachers

Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 1 October 2004

TOP OF THE POPS audience members are nothing if not versatile. Five minutes ago, on the last Friday evening in September, they were directing their ...

Skeeter Davis, 1931-2004

Obituary by Alan Clayson, The Guardian, 1 October 2004

Blending country music with mainstream pop ...

The Guardian profile: Vince Power

Profile by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 8 October 2004

The self-made music promoter with a hardman image and an antagonistic work style is seeking to sell his stake in his Mean Fiddler empire. If ...

Two Lone Swordsmen: Basics, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 12 October 2004

FOR MOST OF THE LAST DECADE Andrew Weatherall was one of dance culture's prime movers. He produced Primal Scream's hallowed Screamadelica and lived it large ...

Electric Six: Metro, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 14 October 2004

"SOME GROUND RULES", says Electric Six's Dick Valentine, by way of introduction. "If you touch me, I'll kill you. If you're a homo and you ...

Dave Godin: Champion of Black Music who coined the term "Northern Soul"

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 20 October 2004

WHEN THE MUSICIANS and singers of the first Motown Revue – the Miracles, the Supremes, Martha and the Vandellas, "Little" Stevie Wonder and Earl Van ...

French Rock'n'roll: What – No Accordion?

Interview by David McKenna, The Guardian, 22 October 2004

CALL A COMPILATION Le Nouveau Rock'n'roll Français and, even now, you risk sparking associations with the figure most people take to represent the old French ...

The Detroit Cobras: Detroit Cobras: Baby

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 29 October 2004

DETROIT COBRAS' biggest fans include the White Stripes and Coca-Cola, who are currently using their take on Hank Ballard's 'Cha Cha Twist' in an advert. ...

One Hit Chunder

Essay by David Stubbs, The Guardian, 30 October 2004

THE ONE AND Only, a hardback celebration of one-hit wonders by Tom Bromley, is a touch too self-satisfied a stocking filler, inviting us, not for ...

Handsome Boy Modeling School — Cartoon capers

Profile and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 4 November 2004

They found fame with Gorillaz and De La Soul. Now Handsome Boy Modeling School are taking inspiration from Batman to make surreal hip-hop. They talk ...

Handsome Boy Modeling School: White People

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 5 November 2004

IF THE IDEA OF HANDSOME BOY MODELING SCHOOL doesn't annoy, it should. An R&B prank comprised of two US rap producers using pseudonyms and famous ...

The Corrs: Wembley Arena

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 10 November 2004

DISAPPOINTINGLY for some of the boys in the crowd, the Corrs were one sister short, since drummer Caroline is recuperating after the birth of her ...

The Dears at the ICA, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 12 November 2004

Generally described as "cinematic" — code for "prone to moroseness; just add muted horns" — the Dears are more a horror double-bill tonight. As Montreal's ...

The Thrills: Apollo, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 15 November 2004

WHEN THE THRILLS first blazed out of Dublin in 2002, there was something sweetly charming about a bunch of naive Irish lads writing eulogies to ...

Screaming Headless Torsos: London Jazz Festival, Spitalfields, London

Review by John L. Walters, The Guardian, 17 November 2004

LOOKED AT BALDLY, the Screaming Headless Torsos are just another rock'n'roll band with chops; a power trio plus vocals and percussion. ...

Alison Krauss and Union Station: Lonely Runs Both Ways

Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 19 November 2004

THIS IS KRAUSS'S first studio album for three years, though in the meantime she's delivered a bestselling live album, won three Grammy awards, and made ...

Gwen Stefani: Love. Angel. Music. Baby. ***

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 19 November 2004

A GENUINE CHARACTER — which immediately distinguishes her from 90% of other successful pop females — Gwen Stefani has made a solo debut that's as ...

Bob Dylan, Roger McGuinn: Jacques Levy, 1935-2004

Obituary by Ken Hunt, The Guardian, 26 November 2004

IN 1969, JACQUES Levy, who has died of cancer aged 69, became director of the erotic revue Oh! Calcutta!, off-Broadway. It was that show which ...

The Bravery: Roadhouse, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 1 December 2004

In the annual December search for next year's "next big thing", New York five-piece the Bravery are possibly in pole position. Signed to Island Def ...

Kevin Coyne, 1944-2004

Obituary by Alan Clayson, The Guardian, 6 December 2004

KEVIN COYNE was a singer-songwriter respected by his contemporaries but lacking their chart success. Nevertheless, largely through Radio One presenter John Peel's championing, he built ...

Xmas LPs: Worst Christmas On Record

Essay by David Stubbs, The Guardian, 11 December 2004

THE CHRISTMAS SINGLE is a thing of thudding familiarity - brace yourself again for Jona Lewie to make his annual re-emergence, bludgeoning you like a ...

Dimebag Darrell, Pantera: Just a Good Ol' Boy: Dimebag Darrell

Obituary by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 17 December 2004

Former Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell was murdered on stage by a lone gunman last week. Edward Helmore celebrates the life of the influential and charismatic ...

Hawkwind: Manchester University

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 22 December 2004

THESE PSYCHEDELIC VETERANS' 35-year career is not for the fainthearted. However, the original psych-rockers are showing few signs of slowing down. Surprisingly sprightly founder member ...

Hanson: Boys To Men

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 4 January 2005

Hanson want to be taken seriously as an alt-rock band. But will anyone forgive their teeny-bop past? By Caroline Sullivan ...

M83: Before the Dawn Heals Us

Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 14 January 2005

ANTHONY GONZALEZ'S LAST ALBUM, Dead Cities, Red Seas and Lost Ghosts, triggered pages of prose purpler than Prince's wardrobe. Nobody actually used the phrase "sonic ...

Plush: 12 Bar, London

Live Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 14 January 2005

PLUSH'S LIAM HAYES isn't a man who does things easily. He released his first single in 1994, his first woozy LP in 1998, and didn't ...

Richard Buckner: Dents and Shells

Review by Sylvie Simmons, The Guardian, 14 January 2005

THERE ARE THREE kinds of American folk artist: those who sit, contented, on a back porch contemplating America's landscape and ways; those for whom its ...

Adam Green: Joseph's Well, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 1 February 2005

"LET'S GET LOOSE," says Adam Green. "You guys are all going to get laid anyway. I'm just the lubrication." This is typical of the mischievous ...

Mindy Smith: Dingwalls, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 3 February 2005

THERE ARE TIMES when every performer wishes that time could be spun into reverse, and particular performances erased. This was one of those occasions for ...

Hanson: Underneath (Cooking Vinyl)

Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 4 February 2005

THE YOUNGEST Hanson brother was aged just 11 when the Tulsa trio released the mighty 'Mmmbop' in 1997. Now they've leapt into a kind of ...

The House of Love: You Only Live Twice

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 8 February 2005

Ten years ago, the House of Love fell apart, fists flying. They tell Dave Simpson what brought them back together. ...

Death from Above 1979: Cockpit, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 9 February 2005

WITH SO MANY FOUR-PIECE guitar bands clogging up the live circuit, Canada's Death from Above 1979 are certainly a bit different. A two-piece featuring the ...

Bap Kennedy: The Big Picture

Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 11 February 2005

BAP KENNEDY used to front Energy Orchard, and then, with a bit of help from Steve Earle, he discovered the symbiotic qualities of Irish folk ...

Martha Carson, 1921-2005

Obituary by Alan Clayson, The Guardian, 14 February 2005

BORN IRENE Amburgey, the second of three sisters, Martha Carson was a guitarist in a troupe, led by her father, that entertained at functions close ...

Low: Royal Festival Hall, London

Live Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 22 February 2005

FOR THE DEVOTED fan, watching Low rock out must be like watching Bob Dylan switch on the amplifiers at the Manchester Free Trade Hall. ...

Arcade Fire: Funeral

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 25 February 2005

WHILE EVERY THIRD BRITISH BAND mines 1979-80 post-punk, Arcade Fire, from Canada, have stolen a march by investigating the US "no wave" of the same ...

Doves: Moss Side story

Report and Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 25 February 2005

The Manchester that Doves grew up in has disappeared. They take Dave Simpson on a guided tour of the city — and show him the ...

Natasha Bedingfield: Colston Hall, Bristol

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 25 February 2005

SURFING ON a tide of hit singles and a monster debut album, Natasha Bedingfield has leapt to the head of the female singer-songwriter queue in ...

Hunter S Thompson: Rock of Rages

Comment by Andrew Mueller, The Guardian, 26 February 2005

FOLLOWING HUNTER S THOMPSON'S suicide, many obituarists, looking for a representative snippet of the Doctor's bug-eyed vitriol, served up the following trenchant assessment of the ...

A Single-Minded Pair: Rescuing Radio 1's Official Chart Show

Report and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 28 February 2005

Tuned-in kids are turning off Radio 1's chart show. Can a new double act help it shake off its staid image, asks Caroline Sullivan. ...

Kaiser Chiefs: Employment

Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 4 March 2005

LAST WEEK, Radio 4's Front Row applied itself to the thorny question of what label to slap on the current crop of young British guitar ...

Phantom Planet

Profile by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 9 March 2005

So, who the hell are they? Alexander Greenwald (vocals), Jacques Brautbar (guitar), Darren Robinson (guitar), Sam Farrar (bass) and Jeff Conrad (drums. Their absurdly catchy single, ...

The Beatles: Abbey Road: Where Magic Was Made

Profile by Paul Trynka, The Guardian, 11 March 2005

Paul Trynka looks back at the relationship between the biggest band of all time and the studio that helped them create their sound ...

Bright Eyes: Metropolitan University, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 15 March 2005

THERE ARE PROBABLY TEAMS of record-company scientists striving to create the perfect amalgam of Bob Dylan, Lou Reed and Leonard Cohen, but Bright Eyes singer ...

Moby: Garage, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 17 March 2005

AMONG MOBY’s many hats are producer, remixer, club DJ, techno-nerd and ambient maestro. For this one-off gig to mark the arrival of his new album, ...

INXS Need You Tonight

Report by Andrew Mueller, The Guardian, 19 March 2005

IT'S NOT THE sort of job that often gets advertised. Michael Hutchence, notwithstanding his bizarre death, aged 37, in 1997, generally looked like he was ...

Rilo Kiley: Marquee, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 19 March 2005

"YOU ROCK!" SQUEALED AN AMERICAN VOICE, in a fit of either delusion or rank flattery. What this country-influenced LA quartet notably don't do is rock. ...

Nas: Hip-Hop Violence: Pop Goes The Weasel

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 23 March 2005

FOR THE RECORD: guns don't go bang but pop, a noise a lot like a jumbo bottle of champagne being opened. As this was a ...

Cousteau: Borderline, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 24 March 2005

WITH A NEW ALBUM DUE IN APRIL, their debut for the Endeavour label after a stint with Chris Blackwell's Palm, Cousteau are hoping there's a ...

Lady Sovereign: Cargo, London

Live Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 30 March 2005

THE PROBLEM with turning your life into your career is that you never get a day off. This irony dawns on Lady Sovereign tonight, as ...

Laura Nyro: Lady Lightning: Laura Nyro

Retrospective by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 2 April 2005

"EXPERIENCED A catastrophe so profound that its effects would never quite fade" (Laura Nyro) ...

Sophie B. Hawkins: Sophie B Hawkins: Roscoe, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 6 April 2005

AN INTERNATIONAL pop star with 1992's smash 'Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover', Sophie Ballantine Hawkins has since fallen out with her record company ...

Fischerspooner: Odyssey

Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 8 April 2005

CASEY SPOONER and Warren Fischer's first album met a sobering fate: their much-ballyhooed £1m deal was followed by commercial oblivion, which helped drive Ministry of ...

Joy Division: Deborah Curtis: "I was just besotted"

Retrospective and Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 11 April 2005

Twenty-five years ago, Ian Curtis, lead singer of Joy Division, killed himself. His wife Deborah talks to Laura Barton about getting over him, obsessive fans ...

Chuck Prophet: Borderline, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 16 April 2005

IT'S BEEN 20 YEARS since Chuck Prophet found himself lumped in with LA's neo-psychedelic "Paisley Underground" during his tenure with Green on Red. But since ...

M.I.A.: Fighting talk

Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 22 April 2005

She's a revolutionary's daughter and her music oozes attitude. Dorian Lynskey meets MIA. ...

Johnathan Rice: "I fought for this"

Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 25 April 2005

When Johnathan Rice got his record deal, he was too poor to eat. Now, along with his pop-star girlfriend, he's the toast of the US ...

Mötley Crüe's Titty-Cam

Report and Interview by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, May 2005

I HAVE JUST SPENT two weeks on the road with Mötley Crüe. Our sweep through Canada and the US Midwest took in Edmonton, Des Moines, ...

Black Eyed Peas: Brixton Academy, London ***

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 9 May 2005

ALMOST ALONE among hiphoppers, the Black Eyed Peas have a sense of humility, so they must cringe at their label's hype. Whoever decided this amiable LA fourpiece ...

Ahmad Jamal: Barbican, London

Live Review by John L. Walters, The Guardian, 11 May 2005

LIKE CREAM, Ahmad Jamal's trio is an influential outfit, hugely successful in its time, whose place in history can be underestimated. His early music had ...

Dorris Henderson, 1935-2005

Obituary by Ken Hunt, The Guardian, 12 May 2005

THE BRITISH FOLK scene has been characterised as insular, but African-American Dorris Henderson, who has died aged 70, disproved that. When she arrived in London ...

Oasis: History boys

Comment by John Harris, The Guardian, 15 May 2005

Oasis's sixth album is out at the end of the month. John Harris wonders whether it can really be the promised return to form ...

M83: Scala, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 21 May 2005

DESPITE THE INADVERTENT HILARITY France is likely to contribute to Eurovision, it has been unfashionable for several years to accuse the French of pop ineptitude. ...

Moloko, Roisin Murphy: Roisin Murphy: Her Time Is Now

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 27 May 2005

When Moloko split up, Roisin Murphy found herself without a band, a plan or a partner. She tells Caroline Sullivan how half an hour of ...

Roll Deep: In at the Deep End

Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 27 May 2005

LAST YEAR was the year grime failed to break big, and nobody failed to break big quite like Wiley. His excellent solo debut was festooned ...

The Tube: Sound Of The Underground

Essay by David Stubbs, The Guardian, 28 May 2005

THE RELEASE OF the first series of The Tube on DVD is a chance to give kudos to a groundbreaking programme that naively but bravely ...

Van Morrison: Johnny Rogan: Van Morrison – No Surrender (Secker & Warburg)

Book Review by David Sinclair, The Guardian, 28 May 2005

Johnny Rogan supplies everything you wanted to know about Van Morrison – and even more that you didn't. David Sinclair digests an almost comically unflattering ...

Live8: Just Another Gig – With Added Feelgood Factor

Comment by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 1 June 2005

NEARLY EVERY A-lister worth the name is doing their bit, making Live8 the first truly all-star charity show since Live Aid. Madonna! U2! Coldplay! You ...

Tanita Tikaram: "I Was An Odd Kid"

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 2 June 2005

SEVENTEEN YEARS AGO, during her first flush of success as a precocious young songwriter, Tanita Tikaram was lampooned by 'Smash Hits'. Under a photo of ...

Laura Cantrell: Jazz Cafe, London

Live Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 3 June 2005

WHEN YOU BURST INTO TEARS ON STAGE, forget the words to several songs and introduce your double bass player as a guitarist, chances are you're ...

Ladytron: ICA, London

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 10 June 2005

THE STAGE RESEMBLES THE TOMORROW'S WORLD studio circa 1980: you imagine Judith Hann appearing to introduce pop music of the future. Instead of glowing laptop ...

Billy Corgan: TheFutureEmbrace

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 17 June 2005

THE FORMER SMASHING PUMPKIN has long endured a deserved reputation as the most egotistical, whining man in rock. However, maturity and the clipping of Corgan's ...

Billy Corgan: Forum, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 20 June 2005

HAVING BEEN A SUPERHERO of alt.rock with Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Corgan hasn't looked quite so sure of himself in his subsequent adventures. His potential new ...

Damien Rice: Palladium, London ***

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 20 June 2005

THE MANY superlatives dished out to Damien Rice stem primarily from his ability to wow live crowds. ...

Hayseed Dixie: Borderline, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 8 July 2005

"WE'RE YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE — educated rednecks," announces Hayseed Dixie's frontman Barley Scotch, taking a giant gulp from a bottle of Newcastle Brown ale. You ...

The Ramones, Patti Smith, Talking Heads, Television: Heaven or Las Vegas: CBGBs closes down

Report by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 8 July 2005

Laura Barton on what the closure of the world's most famous punk-rock club, CBGB's, says about the state of New York's live music scene. ...

Baxter Dury: Barfly, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 9 July 2005

HIS MUSIC MAY bear scant resemblance to Ian's, but Baxter Dury seems to have inherited his father's grooming regime. Tousled, dog-eared and sporting a few ...

Snoop (Doggy) Dogg: Snoop Dogg: Manchester Arena

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 13 July 2005

SEARCHING AUDIENCE MEMBERS with metal detectors as they file in suggests the authorities are expecting trouble. But the rapper who was once up on a ...

James Blunt: I was Blunt’s instrument

Comment by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 21 July 2005

"DOUBLE WHAMMY for Blunt," says a headline in this week's issue of trade magazine Music Week, acknowledging the fact that songwriter James Blunt is at ...

Richmond Fontaine: Borderline, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 21 July 2005

FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, Richmond Fontaine have been plying their trade in the American northwest, turning out a string of albums which have gathered ...

Hayseed Dixie: Southern-Fried Metal

Profile and Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 27 July 2005

Hayseed Dixie aren't your average AC/DC covers band: they come from Nashville, play banjos and read The Guardian. ...

Buck 65: Secret House Against the World

Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 29 July 2005

Over the past decade, Rich Terfry, a former baseball player from Nova Scotia, has built an impressive cult following with his unique amalgam of hip-hop, ...

Chip Taylor: Lock 17, London ****

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 30 July 2005

EVEN BEFORE he met Carrie Rodriguez, Chip Taylor's life had the authentic ring of fiction about it. ...

Madeleine Peyroux: "I'm an outcast"

Report and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 2 August 2005

Madeleine Peyroux could be the new Norah Jones – if she didn't find the idea insulting. She tells Caroline Sullivan about walking out on her ...

Ciara: Goodies (LaFace/Zomba) **

Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 5 August 2005

WHY DO R&B divas keep losing their nerve? Destiny's Child's last album saw them regress from unstoppable robo-Amazons into simpering wifeys, and Atlanta newcomer Ciara ...

Kanye West: Natural Born Show-off: Kanye West

Report and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 5 August 2005

PRESS PLAYBACKS tend to be uncomfortable affairs. A record label, eager to unveil its latest prestige release but terrified of a stray copy leaking on ...

Blur, Oasis: Britpop: Remember the first time

Retrospective and Interview by John Harris, The Guardian, 12 August 2005

Without Britpop, would we have had hit guitar groups, stadium anthems or rock stars on Newsnight? Ten years on, John Harris looks back on how ...

Goldfrapp: Supernature

Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 12 August 2005

LAST WEEK, Gyles Brandreth gave an entertaining account of his first attempt to become a Conservative MP. Fresh out of university and bursting with his ...

The Dandy Warhols: Just Dandy

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 19 August 2005

Once upon a time the Dandy Warhols lived a spartan existence, struggling from gig to distant gig. Then someone made an unflattering documentary about them. ...

Devendra Banhart: Cripple Crow

Review by Sylvie Simmons, The Guardian, 16 September 2005

DEVENDRA BANHART, the itinerant Texan minstrel with a base in San Francisco, has come a long way since his low-fidelity, high-word-count debut Oh Me Oh ...

Laura Veirs: Bush Hall, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 27 September 2005

THE RECENTLY COINED "AMERICANA" GENRE that Seattle songwriter Laura Veirs inhabits is underpinned by a yearning to reconnect with the land. In Veirs's case, this ...

Arctic Monkeys: Fast and Furious: Arctic Monkeys

Report and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 30 September 2005

IT'S A RADIANT late September day outside a recording studio in rural Lincolnshire. Summer is still clinging on by its fingertips, a lawnmower purrs in ...

Death of the album

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 3 October 2005

Why insist on 50 minutes of music when you could have a perfect 10 — or better still, a single? ...

Guillemots: Madame Jo-Jo's, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 6 October 2005

THIS WEEK'S BAND-OF-THE-MOMENT make an entrance that can be classified as either an exciting piece of theatre or a takeover of the venue by a ...

Tom Vek: "Everything I'm doing is so cool"

Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 7 October 2005

Super-geek Tom Vek talks to Laura Barton about the silence between CD tracks, how his album 'just fell out of him' and what he gets ...

Roll Deep: Cargo, London

Live Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 12 October 2005

"BUT ANYWAY, back to the album ... " This will prove the leitmotif of tonight's show, as the Roll Deep collective find themselves yo-yoing between ...

Bob Houston, 1939-2005

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 14 October 2005

A writers' champion, he spanned rock, royalty and robust trade unionism. ...

Cut Copy: 'It's Certainly Not Knob Twiddling'

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 14 October 2005

When they are not letting off fireworks in people's houses, or rugby tackling Mylo off the stage, Australia's Cut Copy are the future of synth-pop. ...

The Go! Team: Astoria, London

Live Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 14 October 2005

WHAT A DIFFERENCE a Mercury nomination makes, as frontwoman Ninja discovers when she bounces on to the stage to announce "We're The Go! Team," and ...

Maximo Park: Tales of Woe and Vodka

Report and Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 21 October 2005

To get over the girls, he turned to drink. To get over the drink, he turned to music. At last, with Maximo Park, Paul Smith ...

Sun Ra: Space Is The Place

Essay by David Stubbs, The Guardian, 22 October 2005

"FUCK THE GHETTO! Look to space!" That, according to Wayne Kramer of MC5, in a nutshell was the message of Sun Ra, as conveyed over ...

Arctic Monkeys: Have the Arctic Monkeys changed the music business?

Report by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 25 October 2005

THE ARCTIC MONKEYS swung toward the No. 1 slot this Sunday with an unstoppable momentum. ...

Animal Collective: Scala, London

Live Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 29 October 2005

LIKE WATCHING SPEEDED-UP FOOTAGE of the dawn, you don't quite notice when one part of an Animal Collective set has ended and another has started. ...

The Fall: Irish Centre, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 29 October 2005

POP MARK E SMITH IS MISSING, and whispers in the crowd ponder whether the notoriously unpredictable frontman has finally gone the way of the 40-odd ...

The Fiery Furnaces: ICA, London

Live Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 31 October 2005

GREAT GIGS, LIKE GREAT DRAMA, require an element of conflict, and The Fiery Furnaces have the advantage on that one: they are brother and sister. ...

Corinne Bailey Rae : Corinne Bailey Rae: 'I Was Speechless, Just Squeaking!'

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 11 November 2005

Burt Bacharach thinks she's fabulous, and Jools Holland said her voice made him melt. Dave Simpson meets Corinne Bailey Rae, the singer they are calling ...

4AD: For The Records

Profile by David Stubbs, The Guardian, 12 November 2005

YOU'D IMAGINE THE minimal and portentous name 4AD, with its arcane, spiritual overtones (4AD is the year many historians believe Christ was actually born), to ...

John Lennon: Lennon Online

Comment by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 15 November 2005

When You Can't Really Function You're So Full Of Fear, A Digital Downloader Is Something To Be ...

Marvin Gaye: Seaside Healing

Essay by David Stubbs, The Guardian, 19 November 2005

IN SPRING 1981, in an act akin to James Brown relocating to Hull, a 42-year-old cash-strapped Marvin Gaye took the Southampton ferry to the Belgian ...

The Strokes: Rebirth of the Cool

Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 25 November 2005

Once they were the hippest band on the planet; then it all went a bit quiet for the Strokes. They tell Laura Barton how they ...

Editors: Angsty young man

Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 28 November 2005

THEIR FRONTMAN is half of a celebrity couple and they're tipped to be as big as U2. But that doesn't mean Editors are happy. ...

Roots Manuva: Kentish Town Forum, London

Live Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 28 November 2005

THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN SOMETHING of the drunk-uncle-at-a-wedding about Roots Manuva, so it's as much of a surprise for him as for us to see ...

The Bravery: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 1 December 2005

ABSURDLY SKINNY New York electro-poppers the Bravery have polarised music fans from the outset. For every acolyte lauding their self-titled debut album earlier this year, ...

Gogol Bordello: Night and Day, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 2 December 2005

NEW YORK-BASED "Gypsy punks" Gogol Bordello are providing an interesting spin on Beatlemania. A girl dancer clad in multicoloured Romany-type rags is hauled onstage specifically ...

Ryan Adams: 29

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 2 December 2005

WITH ALMOST NO INFORMATION supplied by Adams, the advance publicity for 29 — the rootsy crooner's third album this year — amounted to a hotchpotch ...

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: And the crowd goes wild: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Profile and Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 9 December 2005

Earlier this year, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah were struggling to sell more than five albums a day. Now they're selling out every venue they ...

Beth Orton: Spitz, London

Live Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 16 December 2005

BETH ORTON has always been accompanied by a narrative of loneliness. The death of her parents inspired many of her early songs, which told of ...

The Fall: "Excuse me, weren't you in the Fall?"

Retrospective and Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 5 January 2006

Mark E. Smith's band is legendary for its ever-changing line-up. Dave Simpson made it his quest to track down everyone who has ever been a ...

Wilson Pickett: Singer who revolutionised the sound of '60s Soul

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 20 January 2006

IN 1964 Wilson Pickett, who has died of a heart attack aged 64, was signed by Atlantic Records of New York. It was an era ...

Kid Creole & The Coconuts: Kid Creole and the Coconuts: Jazz Café, London

Live Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 25 January 2006

IN AN EXCHANGE which seems quite fair —we get the Scissor Sisters, the Americans get Gavin Rossdale — US acts often make it big here ...

Katie Melua: International Conference Centre, Harrogate

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 26 January 2006

KATIE MELUA is popular with men of a certain age. Producer (and former Womble) Mike Batt discovered her, Wogan and Parky championed her, and her ...

Arctic Monkeys: Whatever They Say They Are, That's What They Are

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 27 January 2006

EARLIER THIS week, the Times dealt the Arctic Monkeys the backhanded compliment of labelling them "spotty poets". It's the "poets" that concerns us here. ...

Johnny Cash: Cash Upfront

Comment by Andrew Mueller, The Guardian, 28 January 2006

WALK THE LINE, James Mangold's cinematic telling of the early life of Johnny Cash, takes its title from one of its subject's best-known songs. ...

The Kooks: Rocket, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 1 February 2006

WHEN PEOPLE SUGGEST that Pete Doherty would have been so much better without the drugs, they should listen to the Kooks. The Brighton-based foursome have ...

The Jam, Paul Weller: Paul Weller: "The Jam? They were a way of life."

Retrospective by John Harris, The Guardian, 3 February 2006

As Paul Weller prepares to receive a Lifetime Achievement Brit, John Harris salutes a giant. ...

Jorge Ben, Gilberto Gil, Os Mutantes, Caetano Veloso, Tom Ze: Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, Jorge Ben, Os Mutantes and Tom Ze: Tropicalia/A Brazilian Revolution in Sound

Retrospective by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 10 February 2006

"THEY LOOKED LIKE three angels," the singer and composer Caetano Veloso wrote of his first sight of the members of Os Mutantes, a young rock ...

Miles Davis: Kind Of Overkill

Comment by John L. Walters, The Guardian, 10 February 2006

Miles Davis wouldn't have wanted his out-takes made public, so why all the box sets? ...

Isobel Campbell: Bush Hall, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 24 February 2006

As an ex-member of the potentates of twee, Belle and Sebastian, singer/cellist Isobel Campbell can't be expected to stride across the stage like a rock ...

Isobel Campbell: Bush Hall, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 24 February 2006

AS AN ex-member of the potentates of twee, Belle and Sebastian, singer/cellist Isobel Campbell can't be expected to stride across the stage like a rock ...

Jaheim: Ghetto Classics

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 24 February 2006

REARED WITH THE USUAL HIP-HOP CV ("the projects", spells in the slammer), Jaheim Hoagland was so precociously naughty that, by age 16, he was already ...

The Concretes: Scala, London

Live Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 27 February 2006

JD SALINGER CLAIMED he was a paranoid in reverse who suspected people of plotting to make him happy. The Concretes seem to be gripped by ...

Death Cab for Cutie: Astoria, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 3 March 2006

AFTER A NEAR-DECADE loitering on the college rock margins, Seattle four-piece Death Cab for Cutie saw an appearance on US teen soap The OC power ...

The Concretes: In Colour

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 3 March 2006

THE CONCRETES' second album is as changeable as the seasons. Songs such as 'On the Radio' and 'Change in the Weather' are full of the ...

Lou Rhodes: Scala, London

Live Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 6 March 2006

WHERE DO OLD RAVERS GO when they retire? They get drunk and go to Lou Rhodes gigs. Tonight the Scala is a sea of dirty ...

Mark Morrison: ’I'm the most reallest black artist in England'

Interview by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 8 March 2006

After the court cases, the jail time and the unfounded rape allegation, Mark Morrison is keen to put his bad boy image behind him. He ...

Embrace: This New Day

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 17 March 2006

EIGHTEEN MONTHS AGO, Embrace made the decade's least expected comeback when their aptly titled fourth album, Out of Nothing, reached number one. Their reappearance, after ...

Candi Staton: "I was so drunk I fell on to the stage"

Interview by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 24 March 2006

DISCO DIVA CANDI STATON lost everything to alcohol and abuse, but the song she recorded for a diet video saved her. Now, at 66, she's ...

The Knife: Silent Shout

Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 24 March 2006

ONE THEORY explaining the decline in dance music's capacity to shock and amaze points the finger at the DJ jetset's culture of professional good-blokery, which ...

Imogen Heap: "It's just a magic thing"

Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 28 March 2006

After being dumped by her label, singer Imogen Heap was broke and despondent. Then a surveyor, a TV soap and a lion came to her ...

Nada Surf: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 30 March 2006

OCCASIONALLY, an unknown band will be booked into a support slot months in advance, have a hit in the meantime and on the night find ...

Plan B: Islington Academy, London

Live Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 1 April 2006

THERE ARE THINGS that get said only for the shock factor, and then there are things that are just shocking. Plan B's subject matter, with ...

Roachford: Spitz, London

Live Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 6 April 2006

FOR A ONE-HIT WONDER, Roachford sure has a lot of tunes. Gone are the early gigs, as a diehard fan reminds him tonight, where he ...

Salsa Celtica: Islington Academy, London

Live Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 12 April 2006

IT IS NOT OFTEN that a salsa concert takes a break for a bagpipe solo, but that juxtaposition is Salsa Celtica's unique selling point. As ...

The Zutons: Strange But True

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 April 2006

No one expected the Zutons to make it big - least of all themselves. Caroline Sullivan meets the best sci-fi trash-rock band in Britain. ...

The Knife: Scala, London

Live Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 14 April 2006

IF ANYONE BOUGHT A TICKET for tonight's show because of an advertisement, in which hundreds of coloured balls tumble gaily down a San Francisco hill, ...

The Zutons: Tired of Hangin' Around

Review by Mat Snow, The Guardian, 14 April 2006

CONFRONTED BY the first Zutons album in a blind test, experts might well have identified it as the work of some long-forgotten art school band ...

Placebo: Alexandra Palace, London

Live Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 15 April 2006

WHEN PLACEBO FIRST HIT THE CHARTS in the mid-1990s, Brian Molko's thick black eyeliner and androgynous posturing caused a bit of a stir, as much ...

Serge Gainsbourg: What A Drag

Comment by Nick Kent, The Guardian, 15 April 2006

THROUGHOUT MY CAREER as a music journalist, I've often found myself sharing the same orbit as some of the more maladjusted talents of the late ...

Daniel Johnston: "I know the darkness"

Profile and Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 21 April 2006

"I love that girl so much I can't get enough of her crazy love" ('Crazy Love', Daniel Johnston) ...

Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan: When Beauty Met the Beast

Profile and Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 21 April 2006

What happened when Isobel Campbell teamed up with the wild man of rock, Mark Lanegan? The result, says Laura Barton, could make her Queen of ...

Josh Ritter: Songs of innocence and experience

Profile and Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 28 April 2006

Mark Twain, Bob Dylan, Einstein and Thomas Jefferson – singer-songwriter Josh Ritter tells Laura Barton what makes him tick. ...

Panic! at the Disco: Astoria, London

Live Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 29 April 2006

PANIC! AT THE DISCO'S DEBUT ALBUM may be called A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, but tonight their obsessive fans are trying to do just ...

Hilary Duff: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 1 May 2006

ALL EXCEPT PUBESCENT GIRLS are entitled to ask: "Hilary who?" This 18-year-old actor/singer is a massive star in the eyes of Sugar magazine readers, but ...

Terri Walker: I Am

Review by Mat Snow, The Guardian, 5 May 2006

SOUL IS crowded with beautiful voices who set their sights no higher than singing sweet nothings. ...

The Beta Band, King Biscuit Time: Steve Mason: 'I've Had Enough'

Report and Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 8 May 2006

Steve Mason, the former Beta Band frontman, should have been on tour this week. Instead, he's quit music — and disappeared. By Dave Simpson ...

The Futureheads: Grump Up The Volume

Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 12 May 2006

The Futureheads have grown up and discovered how to write "classic tunes". But don't expect any airs and graces, says Jude Rogers ...

Hard-Fi: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 16 May 2006

BILLY BRAGG MIGHT SEEM an unlikely guest to support a pop-rock band like Hard-Fi, but both acts are often referred to as "of the people". ...

The Rakes: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 17 May 2006

IN THE CURRENT SURFEIT of guitar bands named after collective nouns, a group needs something singular if they are not to fall prey to NME ...

Grandaddy: Jason Lytle: "Stuff doesn't happen unless I'm alone"

Profile and Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 19 May 2006

The critics loved them. Their peers loved them. But Grandaddy never made the jump to stardom their contemporaries the Flaming Lips managed. Now the band's ...

Tunng: Comments of the Inner Chorus

Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 21 May 2006

Their sinister, retro-modern folk is Tom Cox's idea of bucolic bliss. Even if it scares the bejesus out of him. ...

Tunng: Comments of the Inner Chorus

Review by Tom Cox, The Guardian, 21 May 2006

Their sinister, retro-modern folk is Tom Cox's idea of bucolic bliss. Even if it scares the bejesus out of him ...

Freddie & The Dreamers: Freddie Garrity, 1936-2006

Obituary by Alan Clayson, The Guardian, 22 May 2006

Clowning pop star with a series of '60s hits – and a zany dance – to his name ...

Martha Wainwright: Fire in her belly

Profile and Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 22 May 2006

She grew up in one of folk's first families and tried to resist following them into a musical career. But then Martha Wainwright fell in ...

Girls Aloud: Nottingham Arena

Live Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 24 May 2006

"I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE THAT, four years on, we're doing an arena tour!" announces Nadine Coyle with genuine astonishment. She's not the only one. While ...

Scritti Politti: Hearts and Flowers: Scritti Politti

Profile and Interview by Simon Reynolds, The Guardian, 26 May 2006

It's seven years since Green from Scritti Politti released an album – time spent boozing away in self-doubt. So what brought him back to his ...

Matthew Herbert: Fuelled By Outrage

Interview by David Stubbs, The Guardian, 27 May 2006

"CHECK THESE OUT," says Matthew Herbert aka Dr Rockit, Radio Boy, modern-day big-band leader, seductive deep-house purveyor, moments after answering the door to his studio-cum-pad ...

Hot Chip: King's College, London

Live Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 3 June 2006

HOT CHIP are five white Englishmen who stand in a straight line across the stage, as if waiting to be shot. They claim to love ...

Orson: Metropolitan University, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 5 June 2006

THE HOME OFFICE has more to worry about than escaped prisoners trying to attack us in our beds. Our communities are being invaded by floppy-haired, ...

Bic Runga: Today New Zealand, tomorrow the world

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 7 June 2006

Is Bic Runga the next great chanteuse? Caroline Sullivan finds out. ...

Tom Waits, Neil Young: Jim Jarmusch: "Tom Waits said he would glue my head to the wall"

Profile and Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 9 June 2006

WHEN JIM JARMUSCH speaks, it is like a man emptying out his pockets. "Wild Zero. Guitar Wolf. Where they're killing zombies. Rude Boy. The Clash. ...

Keane: Paint it Black

Interview by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 9 June 2006

In a bid to shake off their clean-cut image, Keane have been exploring murkier territory — and hanging around with Bret Easton Ellis and Irvine ...

The Automatic: Not Accepted Anywhere

Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 16 June 2006

BLAME THE AMERICAN EMO BANDS, or the palpable fury of those nu-metal teenagers who skulk around with stares that could kill kittens, but indie is ...

Busta Rhymes: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 17 June 2006

LOOKING AS IF HE'S BEEN STYLED BY MR T, and garlanded in enough bling to sink a small island, Busta Rhymes bounces on to the ...

Mary J. Blige: Mary J Blige: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 19 June 2006

THAT MARY J BLIGE HAS BEEN THROUGH some troubles in her life is well known; it's what makes her an icon of strength and survival ...

Hype and glory: How to Create a Buzz

Report by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 20 June 2006

As Alan McGee books a made-up band, Dave Simpson looks at the science of creating a buzz. ...

The Dixie Chicks: Dixie Chicks: 'We Had A Song At No 1. The Next Day It Was At No 70'

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 23 June 2006

NATALIE MAINES has a little cluster of black teardrops tattooed on her lower leg, trickling from her ankle down to her foot. Dixie Chicks' poised ...

Don't Mention The War – Unless You're Over 50

Comment by Andrew Purcell, The Guardian, 23 June 2006

NEIL YOUNG'S latest album, Living With War, was supposed to be more than a collection of protest songs. To optimistic critics of the occupation of ...

Lostprophets: Liberation Transmission

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 23 June 2006

THEY'RE FROM SOUTH WALES and lumber songs with titles such as 'A Town Called Hypocrisy' and 'Always All Ways (Apologies, Glances and Messed-up Chances)', but ...

Guillemots: Through the Window Pane

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 6 July 2006

IS THAT PRONOUNCED "gillmots" or "gee-mo"? Arguments rage, but after three attempts to finish their debut, Birmingham's most oddly named band make the classic mistake ...

Gnarls Barkley: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 8 July 2006

"I WAS GONNA STRIP FOR ALL THE GIRLS tonight but they said I'd get locked up. You can have a little peep though," says Cee-Lo, ...

Brian Eno: The Big Chill

Essay by Michel Faber, The Guardian, 10 July 2006

GLEAMING METAL DOORS slide open noiselessly at the touch of a button, and I step into the secret subterranean studio of Brian Eno. The atmosphere ...

Syd Barrett, 1946-2006

Obituary by Alan Clayson, The Guardian, 11 July 2006

Former lead singer of Pink Floyd whose drug-induced breakdown and reclusive retirement created a musical legend ...

Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett: Syd Barrett: Shine On You Crazy Diamond

Obituary by Nick Kent, The Guardian, 12 July 2006

Syd Barrett, the most famous recluse in rock, is dead. It would be easy to mourn the founder of Pink Floyd as a casualty of ...

Golden Smog: Another Fine Day

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 14 July 2006

IT'S BEEN EIGHT YEARS since the last Golden Smog album, which may be down to the logistical problems of assembling a band including Wilco's Jeff ...

Pet Shop Boys: Jewel in the Crown: Pet Shop Boys

Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 14 July 2006

ON A BALMY summer's evening, the grounds of the Tower of London shudder to the art-disco thunder of the Pet Shop Boys' 1988 hit 'Left ...

New York Dolls: The New York Dolls: 'Before Us, There Was Nothing'

Interview by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 14 July 2006

Punk pioneers the New York Dolls imploded in a haze of heroin three decades ago. Now they're back – and this time, finds Ian Gittins, ...

Justin Timberlake: Hammersmith Palais, London ***

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 15 July 2006

WHEN Janet Jackson's bosom slipped out mid-song at the 2004 Super Bowl, only one person came out of the affair unscathed. ...

Erykah Badu: Somerset House, London

Live Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 17 July 2006

IN HER BILLOWING WHITE ROBES, with hair piled into a gigantic afro mohican, Erykah Badu looks incandescent and remarkable against the night sky at this ...

Paolo Nutini: Night & Day, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 19 July 2006

NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD Italian-Glaswegian Paolo Nutini used to work in his parents' chip shop. Then his debut single 'Last Request' crashed into the top five. His working ...

CSS: Cansai de Ser Sexy (Sub Pop)

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 21 July 2006

IF A pile of 1979-80 disco and post-punk records washed up on a Brazilian beach, the lucky beneficiaries would party like CSS. ...

Rhymefest: "We need heroes"

Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 21 July 2006

He sharpened his teeth battling it out as an MC against Eminem. Now Rhymefest is taking on his toughest opponent yet: rap itself. Dorian Lynskey ...

Roberta Flack: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 21 July 2006

SHE'S WELL INTO her 68th year but Roberta Flack remains a strikingly prepossessing figure. A riot of comedic quips and acerbic asides beneath a leonine ...

The Costa del Sol: Elvis Has Left The Cantina

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 21 July 2006

ELVIS PRESLEY is having a grand time. He is cuddling up to tipsy girls and giving them individual verses of 'Return to Sender' as they ...

Christina Aguilera: Koko, London ****

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 22 July 2006

MAKING AN ENTRANCE worthy of Kylie, Christina Aguilera looks stunning. Having reined in her penchant for leather and cleavage and adopted a look inspired by ...

Peaches: Filth and Fury

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 24 July 2006

For Peaches, the famously X-rated rapper, the personal has just got political. Caroline Sullivan hears about her beef with Bush ...

Michael Franti: "The troops thought: this guy's got balls"

Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 26 July 2006

IT'S ALL VERY well to sing anti-war songs in California — but in Baghdad? To American soldiers? Michael Franti tells Dorian Lynskey why he took ...

Lambchop: Hayward Gallery, London

Live Review by John L. Walters, The Guardian, 28 July 2006

LAMBCHOP are one of those cult American bands that push all the right "alt" buttons: alt.country, alt.rock, alt.symphonic pop. Their approach to songcraft recalls the ...

Rishi Rich: The Project

Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 4 August 2006

THE NAMES ON THIS ALBUM might be unfamiliar to some, but their work is all-pervasive in the pop landscape. Whose Mary J Blige remix apparently ...

Arthur Lee, Love: Arthur Lee 1945-2006

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 7 August 2006

Flower-power myth maker who captured the dark side of the summer of love ...

Timbaland: "I'm up here. Everyone else is down there."

Profile and Interview by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 8 August 2006

TIM "TIMBALAND" Mosley, the most in-demand music producer in the world, is tired. But the task of staying awake is made easier because, right now, ...

Katie Melua: Talk The talk

Report and Interview by Andrew Purcell, The Guardian, 11 August 2006

Katie Melua wants to crack America. Andrew Purcell hears how she plans to do it — from playing to overexcited housewives to targeting chat shows. ...

Eagles of Death Metal: The innuendo crowd

Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 19 August 2006

Eagles Of Death Metal are here to sentence you to "death by sexy". But not before they've charmed you with their double entendres, finds Laura ...

Evan Dando, The Lemonheads: Evan Dando: 'I Can't Completely Let Go Of Drugs – And I Don't Want To'

Interview by Mat Snow, The Guardian, 23 August 2006

He was the golden boy of grunge, and then he threw it all away. Evan Dando tells Mat Snow why he wants to make a ...

Broken Social Scene: Just one big happy family, eh?

Report and Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 25 August 2006

A BLEARY-EYED AMY MILLAN is winding her way across Toronto in a desperate search for coffee. The traffic lights switch to green and she scans ...

Ice Cube: Respectability? It Can Wait

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 29 August 2006

He went from gangsta notoriety to Hollywood stardom. Now Ice Cube has returned to the studio – to show today's rappers where they've gone wrong. ...

Metric: King's College, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 29 August 2006

FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, the 20-strong music factory known as Broken Social Scene has been Canada's wellspring of all things indie. Metric are ...

Beyoncé: B'Day (Sony) ****

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 1 September 2006

LIKE MOST American singers of her magnitude, Beyoncé speaks in life-coach soundbites that portray recording an album as a spiritual rite of passage. ...

India.Arie: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 1 September 2006

INDIA ARIE is so personable that, on meeting her a few years ago, Nelson Mandela began the conversation by asking if she had a boyfriend. ...

Fergie Admits Drugs Shame!

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 8 September 2006

THE THREE GIRLS on the south London station platform couldn't have been more than 13, and as they waited for the train, they were singing, ...

Devendra Banhart: Metropolitan University, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 9 September 2006

HALFWAY THROUGH Devendra Banhart's gig, something unusual happens. The singer, who has been slurping something strong from a bottle on his amp, gets into conversation ...

Patti Smith: The Lady's For Returning

Interview by Mark Paytress, The Guardian, 9 September 2006

PATTI SMITH knows a thing or two about rock'n'roll heroes. Emerging in a blaze of controversy with her epochal 1975 debut album, Horses, she wrapped ...

The Killers: Empress Ballroom, Blackpool ****

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 10 September 2006

YOU CAN ALMOST imagine the delight when some bright spark suggested the Killers launch their big comeback in the "Vegas of the North", and the ...

Amy Winehouse: Bloomsbury Ballroom, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 14 September 2006

WHILE AMY Winehouse has been off making the follow-up to her 2003 Mercury-nominated debut album, Frank, her role as the new kid on the block ...

Stockholm Syndrome

Report and Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 15 September 2006

SWEDEN'S INDIE BANDS are invading the UK, armed only with talent, style, ambition and government grants. Time to surrender, says Jude Rogers ...

Johnny Jenkins, Otis Redding: Johnny Jenkins, 1939-2006

Obituary by Ken Hunt, The Guardian, 16 September 2006

Flamboyant musician who influenced Hendrix and Otis Redding ...

Rehab: The Funky Check-In

Report by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 16 September 2006

What do Pete Doherty, Justin Hawkins and Keane's Tom Chaplin have in common? All have been in rehab recently, some for the first time. But ...

Jamelia: Walk With Me

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 22 September 2006

THERE'S NO DISPUTING Jamelia Davis's ability to turn out a fantastic single: her last album contained three of the best of that year in 'Superstar', ...

Jay-Z: Manchester Arena

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 23 September 2006

FEW POP "retirements" have caused as many eyebrows to raise as that of Shawn Carter, aka Jay-Z. ...

The Horrors, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Sisters of Mercy: Back in Black: The Goth Revival

Report and Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 29 September 2006

THE FAVERSHAM, a pub close to Leeds University, is a brightly decorated bar, popular with lawyers and office workers. But a couple of decades ago ...

Sting: LSO St Luke's, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 6 October 2006

STING'S LATEST artistic venture, despite being pregnant with pratfall potential, is a remarkable triumph. ...

Psychic TV: Body Politics

Interview by Mark Paytress, The Guardian, 7 October 2006

WHEN PSYCHIC TV's Genesis P-Orridge walks out on stage at the Astoria this evening, on a rare visit to London, those who've followed the career ...

Ghostface Killah: Coronet, London ***

Live Review by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 11 October 2006

"IF YOU listen to my lyrics, you'll know I'm a soul baby," confesses Dennis Coles midway through a typically eccentric set. "And you've got to ...

Lupe Fiasco: Islington Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 14 October 2006

LUPE FIASCO'S DEBUT LONDON HEADLINER was originally booked for the Scala, but transferred to the sterile Islington Academy after an unrelated shooting at the original ...

The Killers: Saints of Sin City: The Killers

Interview by Nick Kent, The Guardian, 20 October 2006

OVER THE COURSE of 50 years, we have borne witness to the on-going development of popular music, and many diverse faiths and cultures from all ...

The Dears: The Cockpit, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 27 October 2006

IN THE DAYS WHEN Bryan Adams bestrode the charts, Canadian music was a credibility free zone. So much so that the Dears' frontman Murray Lightburn ...

Damien Rice: 9 (14th Floor) **

Review by Mat Snow, The Guardian, 3 November 2006

A HEARTBREAK ALBUM for those who weep along to vintage Radiohead and Leonard Cohen rather than George Jones and Tammy Wynette, Damien Rice's 2002 debut, ...

Razorlight: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 3 November 2006

EVERY BUDDING BRITISH ROCK STAR fantasises about the night he or she will be able to say the three little words that mean they have ...

A heckler's guide

Comment by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 6 November 2006

Want to know what to shout at Tony Blair when he makes his Farewell Tour next year? Then read on. ...

My Chemical Romance: Brixton Academy, London ***

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 14 November 2006

AT 9:45 ON SUNDAY MORNING, it wasn't surprising to see a queue already straggling down the side of Brixton Academy. ...

Gwen Stefani: The Sweet Escape (Polydor) ****

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 1 December 2006

THE NO DOUBT SINGER'S solo output should be the blueprint for any aspiring pop star who doesn't want to sacrifice credibility for the sake of ...

Kasabian: "We're for all the people stuck in crap jobs"

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 1 December 2006

Kasabian have crossed swords with Keane, the Stones and even Showaddywaddy. But really they're just a bunch of ordinary lads who want to be loved. ...

Katie Melua: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 5 December 2006

"JEFF BUCKLEY USED TO SING THIS SONG," says an earnest KatieMelua, crouched over her acoustic guitar. "It's called 'Lilac Wine'." As she begins to croon ...

The Gutter Twins, The Twilight Singers: Bad news boys

Profile and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 8 December 2006

Tattoos, drugs, beatings, stalkers, prison, betrayal and years of making great music — could Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan be any more rock'n'roll? They talk ...

Randy Crawford: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by John L. Walters, The Guardian, 12 December 2006

I'VE ALWAYS HAD A SOFT SPOT for Randy Crawford. Ever since I caught her eye backstage at a recording of Top of the Pops and ...

Dion: "I saw the devil himself"

Interview by Andrew Purcell, The Guardian, 15 December 2006

He's been a doo-wop legend, a heroin addict, a protest singer and a Phil Spector protege: now Dion's a Grammy-nominated bluesman. Andrew Purcell met him ...

Nas: Why The Grammys Have Ditched Rap

Comment by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 15 December 2006

RAP MUSIC, and the commotion, fur and bling that often accompanies its biggest stars, will be noticeably absent from the Grammy awards in Los Angeles ...

Ahmet Ertegun

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, Richard Williams, The Guardian, 16 December 2006

A mogul who nurtured the careers of stars such as Ray Charles, Led Zeppelin, Aretha Franklin and Dusty Springfield ...

Burial: Burial

Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 22 December 2006

YOU DON'T NEED to know a thing about London's dubstep scene to find this cryptic debut the most mesmerising electronic album of the year. ...

Cold War KIds: New Band of The Week: Cold War Kids

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 9 January 2007

The best new band in America, according to NME, these Los Angeles blog-buzz boys sing about robbers, rapists and religion. ...

Deicide: Music Box, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 11 January 2007

FLORIDA MAY be the Sunshine State but it is forever shrouded in darkness as home to the world's leading proponents of satanic death metal. Deicide ...

The Hours: Back From The Brink

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 12 January 2007

The Hours have been through drugs, death and abandonment. But adversity has turned them into Britain's most powerful new band. Dave Simpson caught up with ...

Robyn: New band of the week — Robyn

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 18 January 2007

The Manga Missy Elliott from Sweden. ...

Kaiser Chiefs: Back to the Future in Kaiserworld?

Comment by John Harris, The Guardian, 19 January 2007

The backlash has begun for the Kaiser Chiefs, and their new song has no 'la la las'. But there's still a strong case for cheering ...

Damon Albarn, The Good, The Bad & The Queen: The Good, the Bad & the Queen: The Good, the Bad & the Queen

Review by Ben Thompson, The Guardian, 21 January 2007

Damon Albarn could have fallen flat on his face here. But this love letter to the capital might be his finest hour, writes Ben Thompson ...

How To Beat The Difficult Second Album Syndrome

Comment by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 26 January 2007

SOPHOMORE SLUMP Or Comeback Of The Year? asked Fall Out Boy in a brilliantly prescient track on their 2005 album From Under the Cork Tree, ...

David Byrne: Imelda – The Nightclub Years

Interview by Andrew Purcell, The Guardian, 29 January 2007

DAVID BYRNE KEEPS a small black diary on his bookcase, with 'DB – Idears' written on the spine in gold ink. Without rifling through its ...

Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen: Bruce Blew My Cover: Pete Seeger

Report and Interview by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 1 February 2007

ON THE FIRST Friday of the month, in fine weather and sometimes foul, you will find Pete Seeger, the folk-singing legend and pioneering environmentalist, in ...

Bloc Party: A Weekend in the City

Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 2 February 2007

BLOC PARTY'S second album begins like an episode of Panorama, full of frowning portent and ambition to say something about The State of Britain Today. ...

Lady Sovereign: Scala, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 10 February 2007

"THE BIGGEST MIDGET IN THE GAME," all 5ft 1in of her, is no longer the gauche grime-girl from Wembley. Dropping in for one UK show ...

Arcade Fire: Why the Arcade Fire are molten hot

Comment by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 20 February 2007

Two weeks until Neon Bible hits the shops and the hype has hit Arctic Monkeys levels. But where are the sceptical critics to keep the ...

Ghosts: Fibbers, York

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 23 February 2007

GHOSTS ARE LIVING PROOF of the old adage about the tortoise and the hare. The bandmates' long and bewilderingly dubious past includes soft rock, Britpop ...

Midlake: Melody makers

Profile and Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 23 February 2007

Deep in Texas lies a town where everyone is a musician. So what's its secret? Jude Rogers tours Denton with its hottest property, Midlake, and ...

Wynton Marsalis: Shock of the New

Profile and Interview by John Lewis, The Guardian, 2 March 2007

Wynton Marsalis almost explodes with rage when he talks about hip-hop. So why has the jazz stalwart recorded a track on which he breaks into ...

LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver

Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 9 March 2007

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM'S James Murphy is chiefly regarded as a man with a gargantuan record collection. ...

Nico: From the Velvets to the void

Retrospective by Simon Reynolds, The Guardian, 16 March 2007

Nico was the original model/actor/singer. Unlike her successors she was absurdly talented, but she was also a violent racist, with an awful darkness at her ...

Pentangle: Britain's Grateful Dead

Profile and Interview by Nick Coleman, The Guardian, 16 March 2007

Folk pioneers Pentangle recently played together for the first time in 30 years. This is the perfect time for them to reform for good, says ...

Bright Eyes: Koko, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 22 March 2007

IT IS A TRIBUTE to Conor Oberst's force of personality that the name Bright Eyes is now associated with him rather than with the rabbit-eulogising ...

Kate Nash: Spitz, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 28 March 2007

KATE NASH could not be more "now" if she had been invented by MySpace geneticists. Her vintage dresses, breathless blog and peevish tunes are so ...

Cajun Dance Party: New Band Of The Day: Cajun Dance Party

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 29 March 2007

EACH DAY, Paul Lester puts on his hardhat and lowers himself into the mine shaft of modern music seeking sonic gold. Today, he emerges with ...

Razorlight: Arena, Newcastle

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 6 April 2007

RAZORLIGHT'S MOTORMOUTH FRONTMAN Johnny Borrell grabs the headlines, but the band's unsung hero is drummer and co-songwriter Andy Burrows. It's no coincidence that since he ...

Faithless: Sheffield Arena

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 10 April 2007

RECENT YEARS have not been kind to the 1990s megaclub generation. However, despite frequently threatening retirement, London-based collective Faithless have proved as difficult to shift ...

Laura Veirs: Manchester University

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 11 April 2007

"WE HOPE YOU LIKE our embroidered outfits," begins Laura Veirs. "We went that extra mile." She is referring to her floral dress and the suits ...

The kids are all right: Jon Savage's Teenage – The Creation of Youth

Book Review by Andy Beckett, The Guardian, 14 April 2007

Andy Beckett enjoys Jon Savage's compelling and meticulous prehistory of adolescence, Teenage. ...

The Plastic People Of The Universe: Egon Bondy, 1930-2007

Obituary by Ken Hunt, The Guardian, 20 April 2007

Dissident Czech writer and lyricist for Plastic People of the Universe ...

Madeleine Peyroux: 'It's OK To Be Dark'

Interview by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 24 April 2007

Madeleine Peyroux made it big with intense reworkings of other people's tunes. Isn't it time she struck out alone? ...

Bob Dylan, King Crimson: Ian Wallace, 1946-2007

Obituary by Alan Clayson, The Guardian, 27 April 2007

Drummer with King Crimson and Bob Dylan   ...

The Sea and Cake: Everybody

Review by John Harris, The Guardian, 27 April 2007

THE SEA AND CAKE have made a "rock album", It sounded like a bad idea — but by the end of the last track, only ...

Justin Timberlake: Arena, Sheffield

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 30 April 2007

LATELY, pop has been dominated by guerrilla gigs and scruffily clad bands — but no one told Justin Timberlake. ...

Russell Simmons: Taking the words out of their mouths

Comment by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 30 April 2007

When Russell Simmons says rappers should stop saying "bitch", "ho" and "nigger", he doesn't go far enough. ...

Amerie: Dancefloor dynamite

Retrospective and Interview by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 11 May 2007

SHE STUDIED HARD, likes to stay in — and used to be such a stiff dancer people laughed at her. So how did Amerie become ...

The Watersons: "Feeling part of a dynasty in musical terms is a great feeling"

Profile and Interview by Nick Coleman, The Guardian, 12 May 2007

Author's note: The Guardian chopped this in half. It's better at full length – but then I would say that. This is the full-length one. ...

Von Südenfed: Tromatic Reflexxions

Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 18 May 2007

Mark E Smith recently described his first encounter with LCD Soundsystem's Fall-influenced 'Losing My Edge'. "This sounds exactly like me," he told a hapless shop ...

The Fall, Mouse On Mars, Von Südenfed: Von Südenfed: Tromatic Reflexxions

Review by Ben Thompson, The Guardian, 20 May 2007

THE NAME VON SÜDENFED suggests a German First World War flying ace who went on to build a global pharmaceutical dynasty around a popular headache remedy. ...

William Orbit: 'People Will See My Heart And Soul'

Interview by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 23 May 2007

POP MUSIC has been good to William Orbit. Two decades at the top of his game as one of dance music's leading producers and remixers ...

Editors: Roundhouse, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 30 May 2007

TALK ABOUT ADVANCE WARNING — the first three songs of their set are called 'Bones', 'Bullets' and 'Blood', so nobody can claim to be surprised ...

Calvin Harris: Beat Route

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 1 June 2007

Calvin Harris had a solid career in fruit and veg to look forward to. Then the charts, fame and Kylie Minogue got in the way. ...

Elvis Perkins: All About My Mother: Elvis Perkins

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 5 June 2007

Elvis Perkins tells Caroline Sullivan how the tragic deaths of his famous parents have shaped his melancholy pop. ...

Roky Erickson: The Man Who Went Too High: Roky Erickson

Retrospective and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 8 June 2007

THE MOST IMPROBABLE of rock comebacks began on the night of March 19, 2005 at an Austin, Texas restaurant called Threadgill's. Every year, the eatery ...

Ghosts: The World Is Outside

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 15 June 2007

THINGS HAVE COME to a pretty pass when the Feeling are influential enough to have spawned a genre of their own. ...

John Cale, LCD Soundsystem: John Cale meets LCD Soundsystem

Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 15 June 2007

They are both stars of New York's music scene – pioneers of the coolest pop, separated by 30 years. James Murphy and John Cale get ...

Destiny's Child, Kelly Rowland: Kelly Rowland: Destiny Fulfilled

Profile and Interview by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 15 June 2007

Kelly Rowland reassures Angus Batey that, despite the all the conspiracy theories, she has not had a phantom baby, her new album isn't bitter about ...

Swamp Dogg Bites Back

Interview by Andrew Purcell, The Guardian, 15 June 2007

"WHEN I FELT like I needed profanity, I used profanity," Swamp Dogg begins. And as he cheerfully swears his way through his 50 years in ...

John Legend: Soul Food For Thought

Interview by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 20 June 2007

Feted by everyone from Kanye West to Paul McCartney, John Legend could easily rest on his laurels. But the cerebral singer/producer tells Angus Batey he's ...

Scouting for Girls: New band of the week: Scouting For Girls

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 20 June 2007

EVERY DAY, scoutmaster Paul Lester is out on campsites, chopping wood and erecting tents in the name of musical exploration. Today, he teaches three men ...

Editors: Violently happy

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 22 June 2007

JOINING EDITORS backstage at a gig in Amsterdam, Dave Simpson tries to solve the riddle of the band's songs: how can misery sound this good? ...

Ornette Coleman

Interview by Andrew Purcell, The Guardian, 29 June 2007

THIS AFTERNOON I will meet Ornette Coleman, the world's greatest living jazz musician. Coleman is an iconoclast's iconoclast, Lou Reed's hero, a saxophonist who plays ...

Al Green: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 30 June 2007

AL GREEN IS the last of the American southern soul giants of the 1960s and 70s, a survivor where Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and Sam ...

Arctic Monkeys, Kings of Leon, Roisin Murphy, My Chemical Romance, Razorlight: New releases: Roisin Murphy | Razorlight | My Chemical Romance | Kings Of Leon | Arctic Monkeys

Review by Rob Fitzpatrick, The Guardian, 7 July 2007

Pick of the week ...

Talib Kweli: Jazz Café, London

Live Review by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 9 July 2007

IF THERE ARE TO BE WINNERS AND LOSERS in what has become hip-hop's year of living introspectively, it would be difficult to think of a ...

The Go! Team: Elektrowerkz, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 9 July 2007

"IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK IN LONDON," says Ninja, the Go! Team's pocket dynamo frontwoman. "We've just been playing in China, so it's nice to ...

Steely Dan: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by John L. Walters, The Guardian, 10 July 2007

"HI YA KIDS," says Steely Dan's Donald Fagen, "we're going to play songs from the recent past, and going back to the deep 70s...if you ...

Elvis Perkins: New band of the week: Elvis Perkins

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 11 July 2007

WHO HAS PAUL LESTER dug up for us today? Why the singer-songwriter son of a psycho... No, The Psycho. ...

Sean Kingston: New band of the week: Sean Kingston

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 18 July 2007

Every day, that slippery Paul Lester is just one musical step ahead of you. Today, he introduces a fellow whose sugary reggae with a sour ...

The Boys Next Door, Radio Birdman, The Saints, The Scientists: Come the Revolution: Oz punk

Retrospective and Interview by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 20 July 2007

You thought punks in the UK had things to be angry about? Over in Australia, bands had a real fight on their hands, says Keith ...

LiLiPUT: Defunct punk

Essay by John Harris, The Guardian, 20 July 2007

With lyrics like "Hotch-potch, hugger-mugger, bow-wow, hari-kiri, hoo-poo", how could anyone forget late '70s punk outfit LiLiPUT? ...

Chapterhouse, Moose, My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Slowdive: Diamond Gazers: Shoegaze

Retrospective and Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 27 July 2007

AT THE START of summer 2007 a supple, shimmery thread started darning itself through a long line of euphoric-sounding albums. From Maps to Blonde Redhead, ...

Fairport Convention: "There was a manic feeling in the air"

Retrospective and Interview by John Harris, The Guardian, 3 August 2007

In 1969, reeling from the shock of a tragic car crash, Fairport Convention recorded an album that would change British folk for ever. John Harris ...

Ayo: She shall overcome

Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 8 August 2007

Her mum was a heroin addict. Her dad kidnapped her from a foster home. But she conquered the chaos — and is now hitting the ...

Grant-Lee Phillips: Dingwalls, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 10 August 2007

THE CALIFORNIA SONGWRITER who shares his first name with America's two main civil war generals is anything but combative. Given to gentle jokes mid-performance, the ...

Liars: Liars

Review by Mike Barnes, The Guardian, 12 August 2007

LIARS VOCALIST AND GUITARIST Angus Andrew reckons that this is the first album on which he has felt like a proper songwriter and admits he ...

Tony Wilson, 1950-2019

Obituary by Paul Morley, The Guardian, 13 August 2007

Record label boss and broadcaster with twin passions: music and Manchester. ...

Robert Glasper: "I'd like Wynton to listen to my iPod"

Interview by John Lewis, The Guardian, 17 August 2007

Jazz may be pianist Robert Glasper's first love, but hip-hop deserves equal respect, he tells John Lewis ...

Frankmusik: New band of the week: Frankmusik

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 23 August 2007

Today, Paul Lester introduces a former beatboxer reborn as a bleeptastic alien. He's Mika on acid   ...

Rilo Kiley: Academy 3, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 23 August 2007

TO WALK INTO A Riley Kilo gig is to aurally enter a world of dangerous or illicit sex. Their song 'Smoke Detector' contains lines about ...

Scouting for Girls: 100 Club, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 25 August 2007

IF SCOUTING FOR GIRLS turn out to be notable for nothing else, they have at least saved the name Roy from extinction. But Roy Stride, ...

Sean Kingston: Instant Messenger

Profile and Interview by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 31 August 2007

Three months ago, no one had heard of Sean Kingston. Now he has a No 1 single and a MOBO nomination – all thanks to ...

The Go! Team: Trash Hits

Profile and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 31 August 2007

Confusing, tough and above all, exciting — that's how Go! Team want to sound. Dorian Lynskey puts the masters of sass to the test. ...

Ida Maria: New band of the week: Ida Maria

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 5 September 2007

PAUL LESTER introduces a band that sounds like a Sugarcubed Strokes or a less fluffy Cardigans. ...

Dizzee Rascal, The Klaxons, Amy Winehouse: The Mercury Prize: The agony and the ecstasy

Report by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 6 September 2007

How can you possibly choose just one winner from 233 albums? Mercury prize panellist Jude Rogers lifts the lid on the judging for the music ...

Kanye West: Graduation (Def Jam/Mercury) ****

Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 7 September 2007

WHATEVER YOU THINK of Kanye West — genius, prat, prattish genius — chances are he has thought it first. ...

Scissor Sisters, Siouxsie & The Banshees: Siouxsie to Ana Matronic: 'I Get The Voodoo Thing. My Dad Milked Snakes'

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 7 September 2007

Scissor Sister Ana Matronic idolises Siouxsie – so we brought the two together to discuss punks, parents and the male ego. By Caroline Sullivan ...

KT Tunstall: Wilton's Music Hall, London ***

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 12 September 2007

KATE TUNSTALL uses her initials for the same reason Joanne Rowling became JK — she thought a female name would generate preconceptions. Her music also ...

N-Dubz: New band of the week: N-Dubz

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 13 September 2007

TODAY, PAUL LESTER INTRODUCES a bunch of hoodies with harmony who not only David Cameron will want to wrap his arms around and squeeze. ...

Foo Fighters: "I've never gotten off on chaos"

Interview by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 14 September 2007

FOO FIGHTER Dave Grohl talks to Keith Cameron about what kept him alive and kicking after the death of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. ...

Erasure: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 27 September 2007

THE UK TOUR that ended with this Albert Hall show saw Erasure touch down in Preston and Grimsby – towns at the bottom of most ...

PJ Harvey: Songs of innocence and experience

Interview by John Harris, The Guardian, 28 September 2007

PJ Harvey sings like a child on her new, stripped-down album, but it's full of grim subject matter. John Harris hears how the elusive singer-songwriter ...

Joanna Newsom/Roy Harper/The Moore Brothers: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 1 October 2007

"CAN I GET the house lights on for a second?" Joanna Newsom rocks her harp on her heels, peers through her cameraphone at the raucous ...

Ani DiFranco: Bush Hall, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 8 October 2007

ANI DIFRANCO MAY HAVE EMERGED in the grunge era but she is no slacker. Rejecting all major label blandishments, the politicised US singer-songwriter has self-released ...

James Brown, Bobby Byrd: Bobby Byrd, 1934-2007

Obituary by Alan Clayson, The Guardian, 9 October 2007

James Brown's right-hand man for 20 years ...

Kevin Ayers, Robert Wyatt: Kevin Ayers and Robert Wyatt

Retrospective and Interview by Simon Reynolds, The Guardian, 24 October 2007

"I COULD HARDLY recognise him at first," says Kevin Ayers. "But there, under that great beard, was Robert and he hadn't changed a bit." The ...

Roots Manuva: The war on jiggification

Report and Interview by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 26 October 2007

Stevie Chick on how UK hip-hop got its groove ...

Mötley Crüe: Ban this Sixx filth!

Report by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 27 October 2007

Thought Mötley Crüe's biog The Dirt was the ultimate rock read? Pah! Ian Gittins helped bassist Nikki Sixx write his gruesome journals. Those of a ...

Robyn: Scala, London N1

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 3 November 2007

ROBYN’S WEBSITE makes the contentious claim that the Swedish singer is the "most killingest pop star on the planet", which will be news to, say, ...

Super Furry Animals: Roundhouse, London

Live Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 6 November 2007

THERE IS A theory tumbling around that the Super Furry Animals are the Welsh Beatles. ...

Maroon 5: The Band They Hate To Love

Interview by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 16 November 2007

They've sold 2m albums in the UK, 10m in the US. But they can't get a good review. Angus Batey goes backstage with Maroon 5, ...

Thom Bell, Blue Magic, The Delfonics, The Stylistics: Symphonic Soul: "You get more bees with honey"

Retrospective and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 16 November 2007

Take one soul ballad. Add a falsetto vocal, swooping strings, timpani and an oboe or two. That's symphonic soul. Paul Lester talks to the heroes ...

The Kissaway Trail: Roadhouse, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 17 November 2007

IF DANISH QUINTET the Kissaway Trail's live act were more like their tremendous eponymous debut album, there would be choirs and orchestras on stage. Swans ...

Amy Winehouse: Carling Academy, Newcastle

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 20 November 2007

FORTY-FIVE MINUTES after Amy Winehouse is due on stage, there is still no sign of the singer, which offers an opportunity to ponder the latest ...

(British) Sea Power: British Sea Power: Rock Needs To Get Back To Nature

Comment by Ben Myers, The Guardian, 20 November 2007

Cities have been done to death. More rock bands should take inspiration from countryside, mountains and rivers - like British Sea Power ...

Adele: Move Over, Amy…

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 23 November 2007

... and Lily, and Kate: there's a new star in town. Adele Adkins is only 19, but her voice has bewitched everyone from Jools Holland ...

George Pringle: The Social, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 23 November 2007

"JUST WAIT till my husband gets out of prison," sulks the skinny girl, poking a pinky into her mound of frothed hair. The audience titter ...

Jeff Beck: Ronnie Scott's, London

Live Review by John L. Walters, The Guardian, 29 November 2007

IT IS DINNER time in Soho, but Ronnie's seems set for a fusion version of the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. ...

Ida Maria: Islington Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 1 December 2007

IDA MARIA IS LIKE A CHILD in charge of a bucking bronco — the bronco being her unique voice. It's an ululating yelp speckled with ...

CSS: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 5 December 2007

CANSEI DE Ser Sexy (as they initially were until they gave in to the English-speaking world's lack of enthusiasm for other tongues) have already grasped ...

Crystal Castles: New Band of the Day: Crystal Castles

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 6 December 2007

Paul Lester hearts these darlings of the electronic underground, whose "songs" sound like a load of Gameboys going off all at once in your brain ...

Sia: King's College, London ***

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 6 December 2007

A GOOD HALF-DOZEN VOCALISTS have passed through the career-development lab that is Zero 7 (the dance act also known as producers of soft-furnishings pop to ...

James Taylor: "I used to check my bumpers for blood"

Report and Interview by Paul Sexton, The Guardian, 20 December 2007

He sang sweet simple tunes with deeply felt narratives, but James Taylor's demons almost tore him apart. The thrice-married ex-drug addict tells Paul Sexton how ...

Patrick Wolf: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 22 December 2007

SOMEHOW, WHILE NOBODY WAS LOOKING, Patrick Wolf has become a singular pop star. In his dreams, this gangly 24-year-old is a dazzling, chart-friendly hybrid of ...

Susan Christie, Wendy Flower, Heather Jones, Selda: Lie back and think of ukuleles: Lost Ladies of Folk

Retrospective and Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 2 January 2008

SOMETHING PECULIAR happened at the dawn of the 21st century: eccentric folk music of the late 1960s became covetable again. ...

Adele, Duffy: Adele and Duffy are products of the age of X Factor

Comment by John Aizlewood, The Guardian, 4 January 2008

You can thank Simon Cowell for the results of the BBC's The Sound of 2008 poll. ...

George Pringle: Hail, Hail, Rock'n'Roll: George Pringle

Essay by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 4 January 2008

I like my bus journey songs to have a narrative; 'cinematic mini-epics' as George Pringle might put it. Music for dreamers and loners ...

Adele, Duffy, Laura Marling: Adele, Duffy et al: This Year's Vintage

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 11 January 2008

Caroline Sullivan on 2008's big female voices ...

Carbon/Silicon: Inn on the Green, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 14 January 2008

IT IS HUGELY IRONIC that Mick Jones was fired from the Clash for "betraying the spirit of punk" as, three decades on, he has stayed ...

Amy Winehouse: How popular is crack?

Comment by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 23 January 2008

FOOTAGE HAS emerged of the troubled songstress Amy Winehouse apparently smoking crack at her home in east London. The substance is widely regarded as the ...

Goldfrapp: Manure Rather Than Manicure

Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 25 January 2008

After past glam excesses, Goldfrapp are turning to nature for inspiration. Jude Rogers heads for their country retreat and hears why they are English eccentrics ...

The Feeling, The Hoosiers, Scouting for Girls: Is radio whistling the right tunes?

Report and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 25 January 2008

Things are changing on the airwaves. Caroline Sullivan finds Radio 1 ditching rock for "pop". ...

Laura Marling: "My songs are not pretty"

Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 4 February 2008

IN A RECENT POSTING on a music website, one of Laura Marling's growing army of fans described her output as "pretty folk songs about boys". ...

Adele, Duffy: Who's better – Duffy or Adele?

Comment by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 4 February 2008

The national topic of conversation has shifted from speculating on the weather to a more pressing subject: the search for this year's Amy Winehouse. ...

Fleet Foxes: America's Next Great Band

Report by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 11 February 2008

HOMETOWN: Xachua'Bsh, Washington.THE LINEUP: Robin Pecknold, Nicholas Peterson, Skyler Skjelset, Christian Wargo, Casey Wescott. ...

The Mountain Goats: John Darnielle — "I was a very pretentious young writer"

Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 15 February 2008

John Darnielle is an obsessive-compulsive who loves monsters, Black Sabbath and the word Wyoming — and he's also one of America's best lyricists. ...

Manic Street Preachers: The Manic Street Preachers: Nicky Wire reflects on the Musical Tradition of his Home Country

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 15 February 2008

"THERE'S A LOVELY Welsh word, cynefin, which means 'habitat'. It's the idea that there are factors in your environment that have an influence on you ...

Crystal Castles: Astoria 2, London ***

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 18 February 2008

TORONTO DUO Crystal Castles appear intent on being the most cryptic band imaginable. Eschewing interviews and declining to divulge their ages, producer/keyboardist Ethan Kath and ...

MGMT: "We want to scare the squares"

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 20 February 2008

MGMT make "future '70s" music, want to be produced by Barack Obama and have played gigs as giant snowmen. Confused? You should be, says Dave ...

The Zombies: Album of the Living Dead: How the Zombies made Odessey & Oracle

Retrospective and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 22 February 2008

The Zombies recorded their last album in 1967, released it with a spelling mistake on the cover, then split up. But Odessey & Oracle has ...

Realistic Crew, Suhancos: "This is Hungary - we don't have stars": Realistic Crew and Suhancos

Report and Interview by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 29 February 2008

Hungarian hip-hop has been going strong since 1984, and its musicians are keen to be recognised globally. The problem: they're just not Hungarian enough. Angus ...

Buddy Miles 1947-2008

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 29 February 2008

Rock drummer who graced the stage with Hendrix in his heyday ...

Bon Iver: Hail, Hail, Rock'n'Roll: Bon Iver

Report and Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 29 February 2008

IF WE HAVE spoken in the past couple of weeks, I apologise. If you have poured out your heart and found me blank-faced, if you ...

Jane Birkin: Roundhouse, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 3 March 2008

A CAREER as a muse comes with no promise of great longevity, yet 17 years to the weekend after the death of her infamous artistic ...

Autechre: Digital, Newcastle

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 4 March 2008

ROCHDALE'S SEAN BOOTH AND ROB BROWN have become leading practitioners of what has been tagged "intelligent dance music", a term synonymous with former ravers who ...

Nickelback: My five-year feud with Nickelback

Essay by Ian Winwood, The Guardian, 5 March 2008

The band sent me flowers for my funeral, then challenged me to a fight. None of it caused me as much pain as their music. ...

MGMT: Oracular Spectacular (Sony BMG)

Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 7 March 2008

THIS IS THE first great pop record of the year, a fizzing cherry-bomb that sparkles with energy, ideas and a huge love for music in ...

The Breeders: Sister Bliss

Retrospective and Interview by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 14 March 2008

AS GIRLS GROWING UP IN OHIO, Kim and Kelley Deal weren't expected to do anything more musical than shake a tambourine. The duo tell Stevie ...

DeVotchKa: A Mad and Faithful Telling

Review by Charlie Gillett, The Guardian, 16 March 2008

Passion, desperation and a nifty accordion. Charlie Gillett reckons he's found something very special indeed ...

Jack White, The Raconteurs: Jacks White: Is Jack White Trying To Kill Music Journalism?

Comment by David Bennun, The Guardian, 18 March 2008

The new Raconteurs album is to be released without pre-publicity. Is this a gesture of fairness to the fans, or an attempt to silence the ...

Panic! At the Disco: University, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 19 March 2008

THE RED-HAIRED GIRL AT THE BAR is having a crisis: she has been declared too young to buy alcohol and furiously hurls an apparently bogus ...

Terry Callier: The Jazz Cafe, London

Live Review by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 24 March 2008

ABOUT 40 MINUTES into this riveting performance, Terry Callier cuts to the chase. "We've talked about so much stuff now," he says with a shrug, ...

The Clash, Mikey Dread: Mikey Dread, 1954-2008

Obituary by Alan Clayson, The Guardian, 25 March 2008

A pioneering reggae artist and broadcaster, he worked with the Clash and UB40 ...

Elmer Valentine, 1923-2008

Obituary by Ken Hunt, The Guardian, 27 March 2008

Co-owner of L.A.'s Whisky a Go Go venue ...

Alec Empire strikes back

Report and Interview by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 28 March 2008

"I FIGHT BACK!" a grinning Alec Empire blurts, explaining why his iPod contains only three albums (by John Coltrane and Stockhausen) but has been filled ...

Kristin Hersh: Queen Elizabeth Hall, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 28 March 2008

KRISTIN HERSH HAD A TRAUMATIC 1980S. She formed a band, US indie-rock icons Throwing Muses, when she was just 14, and thereafter had to deal ...

The Black Keys: Attack and Release

Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 28 March 2008

IN THE SHADOW cast by the mighty White Stripes, blues-rock often lumbers between despair and excess. ...

The Kooks: Kooks: "I am a hit machine ... I just roll 'em out!"

Interview by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 4 April 2008

Skinny jeans and catchy hooks have made the Kooks a "priority act" in the post-boyband world. Sophie Heawood follows them to Japan to find out ...

Adam Green, The Moldy Peaches: Adam Green: The Park Bench Balladeer

Profile and Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 10 April 2008

Adam Green's music, featured in the movie Juno, has brought him fame. That's fine, he tells Laura Barton, but he'd rather be at home eating ...

Mumford & Sons: New Band Of The week: Mumford & Sons

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 14 April 2008

THESE LONDON-BASED lovers of folky Americana sound like Coldplay reincarnated as hillbillies. Apparently this is a good thing. ...

The Fratellis: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 16 April 2008

SECURE IN HIS STANDING as one of rock's greats, the Who singer Roger Daltrey, organiser of the annual week of Teenage Cancer Trust gigs, was ...

Death Cab For Cutie: Platinum unknowns

Retrospective and Interview by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 18 April 2008

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE may be the biggest-selling band that nobody recognises — even at their own gigs. Stevie Chick meets them. ...

The Long Blondes: Forum, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 24 April 2008

WINNING THE NME RADAR award for best new band in 2006 wasn't quite the turning point Sheffield's Long Blondes were entitled to expect. Their first ...

Portishead: Third

Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 25 April 2008

PORTISHEAD'S THIRD album is initially more a record to admire than to love, its muscular synthesisers, drum breaks and abrupt endings keeping the tension high.  ...

The Roots: It's Like A Jungle Sometimes...

Report and Interview by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 25 April 2008

They are a hip-hop purist's dream, constantly touring and constantly praised. But behind the scenes, the Roots have a fight on their hands. Angus Batey ...

Was (Not Was): Islington Academy, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 1 May 2008

IT'S CLOSE ON 20 years since Was (Not Was) last played in the UK, and Don Was is feeling nostalgic. "Is anybody here old enough ...

Howlin Rain — Did the earth move for you?

Profile and Interview by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 2 May 2008

THE PATRONAGE OF RICK RUBIN is considered a Very Big Deal within the US music industry. Aged 21, in 1984, this white heavy rock fan ...

Wire: Academy 2, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 9 May 2008

BANDS GENERALLY BREAK UP then reform some years later to trot out the hits to fill up their pension funds, but Wire have never played ...

Diva is Served

Report by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 12 May 2008

Madonna demands 25 cases of Kabbalah water backstage at her gigs, not to mention 12 dozen boxes of strawberries and Yorkshire tea. But what absurd ...

Rain Parade: Remembering the Rain Parade

Retrospective by Alan McGee, The Guardian, 12 May 2008

JUST RECENTLY I've been taken back to the Paisley Underground scene of the early '80s and a band whose music still speaks to me today. ...

Girls Aloud: Brighton Centre ****

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 15 May 2008

GIRLS ALOUD long ago ceased to be a guilty pleasure, and are now just a pleasure. It defies the laws of reality TV that they're ...

Sandi Thom

Essay by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 20 May 2008

THE HYPING OF HER FIRST RECORD seemed a step too far. Can a new album restore this singer's popularity? ...

Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago

Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 23 May 2008

HEARTBREAK OFTEN buckles sad records, turning sentimental confessions into whiny navel-gazing exercises. So thank heaven for Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, who avoids this problem beautifully. ...

Steve Winwood: Scala, London

Live Review by John L. Walters, The Guardian, 23 May 2008

A QUIET LEGEND before he was even out of his teens, Steve Winwood is one of a handful of musicians who shaped the way rock ...

Rihanna: Sweetness and Steel: Rihanna

Profile and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 23 May 2008

ON A HOT spring day, inside a large, airy studio in the town of Castaic, California, a group of men and women are watching paint ...

Spiritualized: Take Aurally

Interview by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 24 May 2008

Jason Pierce of Spiritualized gives Ian Gittins his perfect pop prescription ...

Kiss: Overblown, Overpaid And Over Here

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 30 May 2008

For the headliners of Download heavy metal festival, there are millions to be made, fans to ogle (and sometimes sleep with), and platform boots to ...

Dirty Pretty Things: Astoria, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 31 May 2008

EVER SINCE THE Libertines split in 2004, Carl Barât has been regarded as the more responsible of their two co-vocalists. ...

Bo Diddley

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 2 June 2008

American pioneer of rock'n'roll who influenced the Beatles and the Rolling Stones ...

Yellow Magic Orchestra: Royal Festival Hall, London

Live Review by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 20 June 2008

JAPAN, the home of technology, was naturally going to produce its own Kraftwerk. We just never imagined Yellow Magic Orchestra, the original cyberpunks, would age ...

Cashier No 9: New band of the week: Cashier No 9

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 24 June 2008

Under the harsh glare of the spotlight today are a Belfast band who sound so 'baggy' their songs come with a free pair of Joe ...

The Fratellis: "We don't want to be a pop band"

Report and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 27 June 2008

IT'S LATE AFTERNOON outside Amsterdam's Paradiso club, and the small group of teenagers hanging around on the steps have just seen something to get excited ...

Venom: "This is the devil's music"

Profile and Interview by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 27 June 2008

Credited with inventing an entire genre and influencing some of the world's biggest metal bands, Venom are still seen as a bit of a joke ...

Bloc Party: What's the weirdest chart hit of all time?

Comment by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 11 July 2008

Bloc Party's new single Mercury fires them into the realm of pop eccentricity. Who else resides there? ...

Wu-Tang Clan get it together

Report and Interview by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 11 July 2008

"I'LL BE HONEST with you, and I'll be honest with your paper," sighs Robert Diggs, managing to sound both emphatic and resigned at the same ...

The Bug: London Zoo

Review by Ben Thompson, The Guardian, 13 July 2008

ALL THE GREAT British writer/producers of the past two decades have found their own trademark equilibrium between guest vocals and backing tracks. ...

Wu-Tang Clan: Shepherds Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 17 July 2008

THE MOMENT WHERE IT ALL CLICKS INTO PLACE for the Wu-Tang Clan comes about halfway through their rambunctious, chaotic and uncommonly exciting 70 minutes on ...

Ne-Yo: 'Do I Have To Sell My Soul?'

Profile and Interview by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 18 July 2008

He's an R&B singer, and songwriter to the stars. But when the music stops, Ne-Yo vanishes from the spotlight. He tells Angus Batey why that's ...

My Morning Jacket: The Forum, London

Live Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 19 July 2008

KENTUCKY'S MY MORNING JACKET used to be the adventurous alt.country cousins of Flaming Lips and Wilco, making music as dusty and wild as their beards. ...

DeVotchKa: ICA, London

Live Review by John L. Walters, The Guardian, 22 July 2008

DEVOTCHKA, an American four-piece fronted by exuberant singer-guitarist Nick Urata, play what might best be described as "indie-world", or "Slavic punk". Their sepia website plays ...

Duffy: Somerset House, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 22 July 2008

The biggest-selling artist in Britain this year? That would be Wales' Aimee Duffy, sales of whose Rockferry album passed the million mark a few weeks ...

Artie Traum, 1943-2008

Obituary by Ken Hunt, The Guardian, 25 July 2008

Musician and producer whose tastes covered folk, jazz and rock ...

Hot Chip, Todd Rundgren: Hot Chip/Todd Rundgren: That's one potent hot toddy

Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 25 July 2008

Hot Chip gave Todd Rundgren his first hit in 35 years. Rundgren talks to the band's Alexis Taylor - and almost causes an international incident. ...

Katy Perry: On Music: Katy Perry — Voice of No Angel

Comment by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 8 August 2008

IT'S BEEN quite a week for sex, music and me. Take last weekend. There I was at the Big Chill festival, hot-browed and clammy-palmed, watching ...

Rodriguez: Detroit's comeback king

Retrospective and Interview by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 8 August 2008

We meet Rodriguez on the eve of his first headlining show in America, 38 years after his debut Cold Fact. ...

Hank Williams: Don Helms, 1927-2008

Obituary by Alan Clayson, The Guardian, 26 August 2008

Steel guitarist who backed Hank Williams ...

Metallica: "Why hasn't anyone dethroned us yet?"

Retrospective and Interview by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 5 September 2008

FIVE YEARS AFTER the critical and commercial disaster of St Anger, they're back to save metal — and save themselves in the process. Stevie Chick ...

Keane: On Music: Keane – A Successful Turnaround

Comment by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 5 September 2008

Keane are no longer soundtrack material for middle-class tantrums. They now have the sound of a band turning their frowns upside down ...

Ladyhawke: Asperger's, allergies and aubergines

Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 11 September 2008

Adored by Courtney and loved by Kylie, Ladyhawke is no ordinary pop star. The '80s throwback tells Paul Lester how music got her through a ...

Katy Perry: Water Rats, London **

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 September 2008

KATY PERRY has found the best way to ensure her debut UK gig is a sellout. Although she has had the No. 1 single for ...

Pink Floyd: Richard Wright

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 16 September 2008

Keyboard player and founder member of Pink Floyd ...

Kimya Dawson: Union Chapel, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 17 September 2008

KIMYA DAWSON has always traded in the infantile, and never more than now. The former Moldy Peaches singer, whose solo material tends towards the coy ...

Russell Simmons: The Hustler

Interview by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 18 September 2008

Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons helped Run DMC, Public Enemy and the Beastie Boys make it big. But is his greatest talent self-promotion? Angus Batey meets ...

Katy Perry: One Of The Boys ** (Capitol)

Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 19 September 2008

IS THERE NOTHING lipstick lesbianism can't do for a 23-year-old former gospel singer? ...

Mercury Rev: "Let's try to corral this wild horse, fellas"

Interview by Mike Barnes, The Guardian, 19 September 2008

After years of chaos and in-fighting, Mercury Rev are back on track. They tell Mike Barnes how they reinvented their music — and themselves ...

Marvin Gaye, Edwin Starr, The Temptations, The Undisputed Truth: Norman Whitfield, 1941-2008

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 19 September 2008

He co-wrote and produced some of Motown's greatest hits ...

Mercury Rev: Snowflake Midnight

Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 26 September 2008

TEN YEARS after Deserter's Songs became a gorgeous Americana classic, Mercury Rev have made another masterpiece. ...

Nappy Brown, 1929-2008

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 26 September 2008

1950s blues and R&B singer resurgent in the 80s and last year. ...

Natalie Cole: The Unforgettable Ms Cole

Interview by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 26 September 2008

Natalie Cole is the superstar's daughter who became a Black Panther, a cocaine addict – and a huge success in her own right. As she ...

50 Cent: From The Firing Line To The Firing Range

Interview by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 1 October 2008

Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson is in a strangely revealing mood as he discusses working with De Niro and Pacino, how getting shot harmed his record ...

Delphic: New band of the week — Delphic

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 1 October 2008

Delphic could be the best new band in Manchester, as they evoke the spirit of its Hacienda days in a forward-thinking, indie-rave type way. Are ...

Aswad, Jah Shaka: Franco Rosso's Babylon

Retrospective and Interview by Kieron Tyler, The Guardian, 4 October 2008

Kieron Tyler celebrates that rare thing – a British movie about reggae ...

Kaiser Chiefs: Off With Their Heads

Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 17 October 2008

THIS SUMMER, Mark Ronson brightly told us that Kaiser Chiefs' new album, their third in four years and the first on his watch, sounded like ...

Estelle: The Guardian profile: Estelle Swaray

Profile by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 17 October 2008

Mobo win is vindication for singer who had to move to US to find success. ...

The Dears: Porchester Hall, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 21 October 2008

A WEST LONDON HALL that advertises itself as the ideal spot for weddings and birthday parties is a perverse place to find the Dears, a ...

Jenny Lewis: Koko, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 22 October 2008

JENNY LEWIS IS A MISTRESS OF REINVENTION. Originally a child actor, with a string of bit-part roles in Roseanne, Baywatch and The Golden Girls, she ...

Fall Out Boy: Chemical Brothers

Interview by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 24 October 2008

Fall Out Boy are the pin-ups of choice for an over-medicated, emo generation. But as election day approaches in the US, the band tell Stevie ...

Hank Williams, Hank Williams Jr., Hank Williams III: Go your own way: Hank Williams and his progeny

Report and Interview by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 24 October 2008

Hank Williams changed the face of country music. How can his descendants live up to that? Angus Batey finds out. ...

Kaiser Chiefs: The Forum, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 25 October 2008

IN 2005, Kaiser Chiefs squeezed into a pop scene that was fixated on arch art-rockers. Today, the band are a neo-Britpop fixture, seemingly sent to ...

Jerry Garcia, Grateful Dead, Merl Saunders: Merl Saunders, 1934-2008

Obituary by Ken Hunt, The Guardian, 27 October 2008

Keyboard wizard who often worked with Jerry Garcia, with or without the Grateful Dead ...

The Temptations: The Band That Took Motown Higher

Retrospective and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 31 October 2008

FORTY YEARS ago this month, the Temptations released a single that would change the face of Motown. Martin Luther King Jr had been gunned down ...

The Mothers Of Invention: Jimmy Carl Black, 1938-2008

Obituary by Alan Clayson, The Guardian, 4 November 2008

Drummer and sometimes lead vocalist who worked with Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart ...

Howe Gelb, Giant Sand: Howe Gelb: Enter Sandman

Interview by Everett True, The Guardian, 5 November 2008

"GIANT SAND is a mood," remarks singer Howe Gelb on the back of my promo copy of the new Giant Sand album, proVISIONS — what ...

The Killers: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 5 November 2008

THE KILLERS have sold 12m albums worldwide yet still find themselves at a crossroads. ...

Erik Darling, 1933-2008

Obituary by Ken Hunt, The Guardian, 7 November 2008

ERIK DARLING, who has died of lymphoma aged 74, led a rich and varied life in folk music and straddled many of the genre's definitions. ...

Herbie Hancock: Herbie Rides Again

Interview by Andrew Purcell, The Guardian, 7 November 2008

He has enjoyed electro, pop and funk incarnations but, as Herbie Hancock tells Andrew Purcell, it's all about playing one right note ...

Hot Chip: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 10 November 2008

"WELCOME TO the Hot Chip show," shouts guitarist Al Doyle, as if priming the crowd for a Vegas cabaret act rather than five Londoners whose ...

McFly: Sheffield Arena

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 11 November 2008

REMEMBER THE days when boy bands were 10 a penny and schoolgirls would wage war over whether Take That or East 17 were more luscious? ...

Fleet Foxes: Why Is Our Radical Folk Heritage Ignored?

Comment by Luke Turner, The Guardian, 14 November 2008

Modern British music is so in thrall to Americana that our own treasure trove of radical traditional folk is in danger of being forgotten ...

The Big Pink: New band of the week: The Big Pink

Report by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 18 November 2008

Today's bright young things take their name from The Band, and their inspiration from the early '90s. ...

The Big Pink: New Band Of The Week: The Big Pink

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 18 November 2008

TODAY'S BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS take their name from the Band, and their inspiration from the early 90s. ...

La Roux: New Band of the Day: La Roux

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 19 November 2008

Make no mistake, today's new artist is a solo female synth star in waiting. ...

Shontelle: New band of the week: Shontelle

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 20 November 2008

Today's new artist was once an army cadet forced to give Rihanna punishment push-ups for being late. Lucky old tarmac, eh? ...

Dizzee Rascal: Academy, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 21 November 2008

DIZZEE RASCAL, who in 2003 carried off the Mercury music prize, recently told Newsnight's Jeremy Paxman he was thinking of running for prime minister. He seems ...

Ryan Adams: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 25 November 2008

DESPITE WHAT Ryan Adams tells us tonight, it wasn't true that this was the first time he had ever played London "without being chemically challenged". ...

Live Music: Is This The End Of The Road?

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 28 November 2008

Gigs have been shoring up the ailing music industry – but they're not as popular as they once were. Caroline Sullivan reports on growing anxiety ...

Taio Cruz: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 4 December 2008

TAIO CRUZ HAS BEEN DESCRIBED as a British cross between Timbaland and John Legend — "British" being the operative word. A privately educated Londoner, Cruz ...

Mary Margaret O'Hara: Christmas wishes from Canada's psychic singer-songwriter

Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 5 December 2008

DOWN THE WIRES from Canada comes Mary Margaret O'Hara, her voice as devastatingly delicate as shattering glass. ...

ABC, Heaven 17, The Human League: ABC/Human League/Heaven 17: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 10 December 2008

THERE ARE QUEUES around the building for the Sheffield groups who brought electro-funk (Heaven 17), orchestral disco (ABC) and synth pop (the Human League) to ...

Lady Gaga, La Roux: Slaves To Synth

Report and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 17 December 2008

The male guitar band is dead. The future is electro, female, DIY – and very in your face. Caroline Sullivan talks to the solo acts ...

The Monochrome Set: Remembering the Band that History Forgot

Retrospective by John Robb, The Guardian, 9 January 2009

THERE HAVEN'T been many bands like the Monochrome Set. They should have been absolutely massive, but instead were sidelined by their post-punk peers and were ...

The Astoria: Share your beer-stained memories

Report by Ian Winwood, The Guardian, 13 January 2009

YOU CAN ALWAYS tell when a gig at the Astoria has just finished because you'll be greeted with the sight of 2,000 people spilling out ...

Florence and the Machine, Lady Gaga: On Music: Lady GaGa and Florence Welch

Comment by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 16 January 2009

Lady GaGa and Florence Welch have been hailed as the new queens of pop. But why pretend they're anything more than cheap imitations? ...

Franz Ferdinand: Tonight

Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 18 January 2009

ON THEIR eponymous 2004 outing, Franz knew exactly what they wanted to do and they executed it to perfection. They conjured something fresh from Orange ...

Franz Ferdinand: Heaven, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 22 January 2009

FRANZ FERDINAND are back, but their advance publicity has been distinctly misleading. ...

David Bowie, The Rolling Stones: Guy Peellaert, 1934-2008

Obituary by Ken Hunt, The Guardian, 29 January 2009

Belgian artist most famous for his rock dreamscapes ...

Buddy Holly: The Angel with the Devil's Music: Buddy Holly

Retrospective by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 30 January 2009

Fifty years ago, Buddy Holly's life was sadly cut short. Richard Williams salutes the clean-cut 22-year-old who came to Britain and showed a whole generation ...

How The Fanzine Refused To Die

Report and Interview by Simon Reynolds, The Guardian, 2 February 2009

Blogs are the cheapest, fastest and easiest way to get your music writing out there — but that hasn't stopped a new generation of writers picking ...

Hudson Mohawke: New band of the week: Hudson Mohawke

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 2 February 2009

This 22-year-old Warp signing sounds like Crystal Castles holding a disco inside an early '80s Atari computer console with the entire crew of George Clinton's ...

Jacques Brel: Jacques The Lad: Jacques Brel

Retrospective by Graeme Thomson, The Guardian, 6 February 2009

FIRST THINGS FIRST. Try to forget that Jacques Brel, the Belgian singer-songwriter, is indirectly responsible for Terry Jacks's 'Seasons in the Sun'. Forget also for ...

The Cramps: Lux Interior

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 6 February 2009

Co-founder of the Cramps, exponents of trash culture and 'psychobilly' music ...

The Gaslight Anthem: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 10 February 2009

THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM are doomed to be forever compared with Bruce Springsteen. Similarly hailing from New Jersey, this raw four-piece play muscular, taut rock'n'roll songs ...

Ellie Goulding: New Artist of the Day — Ellie Goulding

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 16 February 2009

THIS CURRENTLY UNSIGNED Welsh lass is a cross between a singer-songwriter and a synth-pop starlet. Is she another Kate Nash? A kooky British Lykke Li? ...

Secret Machines: Ruby Lounge, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 16 February 2009

IN AN IDEAL WORLD, the Secret Machines would be playing in a volcanic crater at Pompeii, or taking the stage in the Rocky Mountains as ...

The Ting Tings: The Day-Glo Duo: The Ting Tings

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 18 February 2009

"ALL I'VE BEEN thinking about," says Jules De Martino, the male half of the Ting Tings, seated in a swish Manchester restaurant, "is steak and ...

Single Vision: Fierce Panda Records

Retrospective and Interview by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 20 February 2009

THE NEW WAVE OF NEW WAVE was never really much cop. It was an early 1990s music press-concocted punk revival scene based around a handful ...

Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five: Grandmaster Flash: All Hands On Deck

Profile and Interview by Andrew Purcell, The Guardian, 27 February 2009

They thought he was mad, they spat him off stage, he hit the drugs... But Grandmaster Flash gave 'DJ' a whole new meaning. Andrew Purcell ...

Bikini Kill, Huggy Bear: Grrrl Power

Retrospective and Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 4 March 2009

The Riot Grrrl scene brought feminism to alternative rock in the '90s. Fifteen years on, the aftershocks are still making waves, says Laura Barton. ...

The Rev. Claude Jeter, The Swan Silvertones: Claude Jeter, 1914-2009

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 12 March 2009

CLAUDE JETER, who has died aged 94, pioneered the technique of falsetto singing in African American music, as leader of the gospel group the Swan ...

John Legend: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 March 2009

AS befits a singer who decided that his original surname, Stephens, didn't capture his essence, John Legend precedes his entrance with black-and-white footage of himself ...

Alan Livingston Obituary

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 20 March 2009

Alan Wendell Livingston, businessman, born 15 October 1917; died 13 March 2009 ...

Island Records: The Secret Of Its Success

Comment by Simon Reynolds, The Guardian, 23 March 2009

The legendary label, which celebrates its 50th birthday in May, managed in its heyday to achieve that rare feat: combining commercial success with artistic integrity ...

All Bands on Deck: Pirate Radio and The Boat That Rocked

Report and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 27 March 2009

FOR A FEW WEEKS last spring, a corner of Shepperton Studios became the nerve centre of the fictional pirate station, Radio Rock. Mounted on a ...

Mastodon: Blood, Sweat and Beards: Mastodon

Interview by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 27 March 2009

IN THE TWO DECADES and change since Metallica's landmark Master of Puppets album debuted, heavy metal has charted an ascendant course, from derided, marginalised and ...

Brian Eno, David Byrne: The Business is an Exciting Mess: Brian Eno and David Byrne

Interview by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 27 March 2009

DAVID BYRNE IS sitting outside the ladies parlour, upstairs at the Tampa theatre, one of the most spectacular 1920s movie palaces in the US, in ...

Ray Parker Jr.: Who you gonna call? 118 118

Comment by Johnny Sharp, The Guardian, 4 April 2009

Ray Parker Jr is the latest ad/pop crossover. Johnny Sharp wants more ...

Diamanda Galás: "My performance is catharsis"

Interview by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 10 April 2009

Death, disease, loss and exile — Diamanda Galás covers it all. Ian Gittins meets an extraordinary singer who is still fighting injustice ...

Jason Mraz: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 10 April 2009

WHILE THE WORLD has been going about its business, Jason Mraz has quietly sold 3.5m copies of his Grammy-nominated 2008 album, We Sing, We Dance, ...

The Bay City Rollers: Tam Paton

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 10 April 2009

Bay City Rollers manager who was mired in scandal ...

Jeffrey Lewis: The Neurotic from New York: Jeffrey Lewis

Interview by Andrew Purcell, The Guardian, 13 April 2009

A FEW YEARS AGO, Jeffrey Lewis wrote a song called 'Sal's Pizza Has Sold Out To The Yuppie Scum', complaining about the rising cost of ...

The Enemy: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 14 April 2009

ANYONE WHO THINKS "the kids" are an apathetic lot who would rather vegetate in front of their Xboxes than start a revolution should see the ...

The Hours: See The Light

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 16 April 2009

GIVEN THAT THE HOURS' SINGER Antony Genn lost much of his life (and dental work) to drug addiction, he's hardly going to let a setback ...

The Noisettes: "We've come to clean up the indie landfill"

Report and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 17 April 2009

NOISETTES ARE in a TV studio just outside Paris – along with the Sugarhill Gang and singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman. They are just some of the ...

Paloma Faith: New Band of the Week: Paloma Faith

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 20 April 2009

This former burlesque performer updates Amy Winehouse's tourch-song soul with a vampish, theatrical flair ...

Lady Sovereign: 5 Cavendish Square, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 21 April 2009

LADY SOVEREIGN operates on hip-hop time, so it's compulsory for her to be an hour late for this low-key comeback show, at — oddly enough ...

N-Dubz: O2 Empire, London

Live Review by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 22 April 2009

GRIME IS THE NEW POP. The screams that greet support act Tinchy Stryder are shrill enough, but when N-Dubz bound on they're almost deafening. The ...

Girls Aloud: Sheffield Arena ***

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 27 April 2009

THE RECESSION does not appear to be affecting Girls Aloud, whose entrance involves pyrotechnics, hydraulic platforms and the whipping-off of glittering white ballgowns to reveal ...

The Barron Knights: Duke D'Mond, 1943-2009

Obituary by Alan Clayson, The Guardian, 28 April 2009

Singer whose group's top 10 hits brought parody to 1960s pop ...

The Chills, The Clean: Nuns at the Altar of Rock: Flying Nun Records

Retrospective and Interview by Martin Aston, The Guardian, May 2009

"THERE'S SOMETHING about the antipodes that irritates Britain," reckons Martin Phillipps, on the phone from Dunedin on New Zealand's South Island. Almost 25 years ago, ...

Jackie DeShannon: Return Of The Starry-Eyed Girl

Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 1 May 2009

IT'S LUNCHTIME at Claridge's, and a glamorous blonde in sparkling stilettos shimmers out of the lift. No one bats an eyelid, but then she starts ...

The Horrors: Primary Colours (XL)

Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 1 May 2009

THEY LIVE! Left for dead after a hype overdose two years ago, Southend's ghost-train garage-rockers have risen again with a second album so daring and ...

Devo: We Are Legend

Report and Interview by Pat Long, The Guardian, 2 May 2009

New wave oddballs Devo used to warn that consumerism was crumbling. Now they're back to say we told you so. Pat Long tips his funny ...

Taylor Swift: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London ***

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 9 May 2009

COSY PLACES SUCH AS the Shepherd's Bush Empire can't figure much in Taylor Swift's schedule these days — the US's top-selling artist of 2008 must ...

Shontelle: "The army brought out my tough side — but I wanted to be fabulous"

Interview by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 11 May 2009

WHEN SHONTELLE LAYNE got a call last year saying that her song 'Battle Cry' had been picked for Barack Obama's campaign album Yes We Can, ...

Local Natives: New band of the week — Local Natives

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 3 June 2009

ONE OF THIS YEAR'S SXSW hits, this "vocal group" are like Vampire Weekend, Fleet Foxes and Arcade Fire in one hairy package. ...

Robyn, Röyksopp: "There's This Idea That You're An Oddball, Far Up At The Top Of The World"

Profile and Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 5 June 2009

Love songs to robots, cement-mixer music, trios with houses on their shoulders… No wonder Scandinavian artists get noticed. Jude Rogers kicks off our Scandipop special ...

Ornette Coleman: Mister Anything Goes

Profile and Interview by John Lewis, The Guardian, 10 June 2009

He's taken jazz where it has never gone before — playing with pipers, punks and divas. As Ornette Coleman arrives in Britain, Patti Smith, Moby ...

Faith No More at The Brixton Academy

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 June 2009

FAITH NO MORE's first gig in 11 years starts on a promisingly high note. A keyboard tinkles a lullaby melody, a spotlight picks out singer ...

White Denim: Fits

Review by Ben Thompson, The Guardian, 14 June 2009

THE GENRE that was once called "college rock" is currently drifting in a distinctly post-graduate direction. But for those who find 2009's US indie vanguard ...

Ornette Coleman, The Roots: The Roots with Ornette Coleman: Royal Festival Hall, London

Live Review by John Lewis, The Guardian, 17 June 2009

IT SEEMS fitting that Philadelphia hip-hoppers the Roots should help kick off Ornette Coleman's Meltdown festival. ...

Why "Disco sucks!" sucked

Retrospective by Ben Myers, The Guardian, 18 June 2009

The "Disco Sucks!" campaign in 1979 had racist and homophobic undertones — and, 30 years on, has proven to be a resolute failure ...

Kraftwerk: Ralf Hütter: "I got a new head, and I'm fine"

Interview by John Harris, The Guardian, 19 June 2009

The bikes ... the robots ... the dream of man and machine in perfect harmony. How is the Kraftwerk vision of the future shaping up? ...

Crystal Fighters: New band of the week: Crystal Fighters

Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 23 June 2009

This East London five-piece bring traditional Basque folk music screaming and kicking into the 21st century by fusing it with heavy dance rhythms and synthesisers. ...

Michael Jackson

Obituary by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 26 June 2009

The self-styled King of Pop, whose musical gift was overshadowed by his private life ...

Bruce Springsteen: Why Indie Nerds Love The Boss

Report and Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 26 June 2009

Springsteen, a tweepop hero? ...

Lady Gaga: Academy, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 1 July 2009

THE 23-year-old formerly known as Stefani Germanotta must be pop's most ruthlessly effective self-promoter since Madonna. ...

Spinal Tap: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 1 July 2009

NO MATTER how witty they may be, few satires or novelty songs repay repeated listening. So how come a packed Wembley is rocking to the ...

Metric: The mellow mania of Metric

Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 6 July 2009

They made their name with spiky, angry songs perfect for sweaty clubs. Now Metric are finding their lighter side. Will the band's fans go for ...

Vincent Gallo: How Vincent Gallo taught me to love Yes

Profile by Alan McGee, The Guardian, 14 July 2009

THE POP-CULTURE POLYMATH has used his spectacular tastes to introduce people to much-maligned musical genres. But if only he could get around to releasing his ...

The Mars Volta: Somerset House, London

Live Review by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 15 July 2009

THIS MAY HAVE TAKEN PLACE in the idyllic environs of Somerset House, and the band might describe their latest album, Octahedron, as "acoustic", but reports ...

The Ting Tings: Somerset House, London

Live Review by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 16 July 2009

WITH LA ROUX, that other boy-girl synthpop duo, currently dominating the charts, the Ting Tings have started to look a bit, well, 2008. ...

Shakira: On Music: Shakira – The She Wolf Bites

Comment by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 17 July 2009

Shakira's howling alter ego is properly, wonderfully strange, going back to the old rules of pop star alternate personas ...

Half Man Half Biscuit: Why Half Man Half Biscuit are wholly terrific

Profile by Ben Myers, The Guardian, 23 July 2009

WITTY AND DRY, sardonic yet never cynical, the lyrics of Half Man Half Biscuit are an undiscovered treasure trove. It's time this great Birkenhead band ...

Sugababes: 'We Took Our Eye Off The Ball'

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 24 July 2009

After a brush with self-doubt, the Sugababes are back on form. Keisha Buchanan, Amelle Berrabah and Heidi Range talk about their new album, Get Sexy ...

Hurts: Profile

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 27 July 2009

This electro-pop boy-duo look as though they've been styled by Helmut Newton, directed by Anton Corbijn and produced by Trevor Horn on a Martin Hannett ...

U2: Ego Warriors: U2 Speak Out On Rock-Star Hypocrisy

Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 30 July 2009

Over the years, U2 have taken many a kicking. But the band believe they're unjustly maligned for their unique brand of "stadium activism" ...

ZE Records: 'It Was Like A Fairytale'

Retrospective and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 30 July 2009

The extraordinary story of the trail-blazing New York label that launched Was (Not Was), Kid Creole and Suicide ...

Buffy Sainte-Marie

Retrospective and Interview by Colin Irwin, The Guardian, 31 July 2009

ALL GUSHING JET-black hair, radiant smiles and shining eyes, Buffy Sainte-Marie looks fabulous. "Do I? Why thank you..." ...

Speech Debelle : Is Speech Debelle Really "Not Black Enough"?

Comment by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 31 July 2009

Speech Debelle seems to be yearning for another vision of blackness, rather than settling for being "urban" and making race redundant ...

Will the Indie Chart rise again?

Report and Interview by Bob Stanley, The Guardian, 31 July 2009

In its 1980s heyday, the indie chart was a beacon of top alternative music. Then the majors took over. Now it may get a new ...

Ellie Greenwich, 1940-2009

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, August 2009

NOT LONG AFTER Ellie Greenwich, who has died at the age of 68, met her future husband and songwriting partner Jeff Barry at a Thanksgiving ...

Beth Jeans Houghton: New band of the week — Beth Jeans Houghton

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 6 August 2009

This quirky newbie could easily be dismissed as just another kooky songstress were it not for the quality of her music and voice. Oasis fans ...

Toro y Moi: New Band Of The Week: Toro Y Moi

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 13 August 2009

THOUGH HE DOESN'T SOUND like the Flaming Lips, this multi-instrumentalist whiz-kid blurs the boundary between electronica and Americana in the same way. ...

The xx: xx — A Teen Band With A Difference

Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 13 August 2009

The minimalist four-piece band from a Notting Hill garage are equally awed by Pixies and Aaliyah ...

Barry Beckett, 1943-2009

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 16 August 2009

BEHIND EVERY star there is a great producer, musician or record company A&R man. Barry Beckett, who has died aged 66 after a series of ...

Ellie Greenwich: Remembering Songwriting Legend Ellie Greenwich

Retrospective by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 27 August 2009

SHE CHANGED the shape of 60s pop by writing some extraordinary songs, including 'Be My Baby' and 'Da Doo Ron Ron' ...

Muse Make Space for the Music

Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 28 August 2009

WHEN IS MUSIC too much? I'm not talking about the torrent of songs that surround us every day – I've argued how we should work ...

The Duke & the King: Testifying with American royalty

Profile and Interview by James Medd, The Guardian, 3 September 2009

Are they a revivalist folk-soul band or a religious cult? Either way, this charismatic three-piece are on a mission from God. ...

Coldplay, Jay-Z: Coldplay/Jay-Z: Lancashire Cricket Club, Manchester

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 September 2009

THERE ARE only a few bands big enough to ask artists who are at the very top of their own genres to work as their ...

Bikini Kill, Huggy Bear: The 10 Myths of Riot Grrrl

Comment by Everett True, The Guardian, 14 September 2009

YOU READ a lot of stuff about Riot Grrrl, most of which isn't true. Things such as ...  ...

Editors: 02 Birmingham Academy

Live Review by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 15 September 2009

THE FACT THAT THIS was the opening night of Birmingham's new Academy meant there was already a buzz. There was added excitement because Editors are ...

Peter, Paul & Mary, Mary Travers: Mary Travers obituary

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 17 September 2009

PETER, PAUL AND MARY were the most successful vocal group of the American folk revival of the 1960s. In particular, they were responsible for bringing ...

Peter, Paul & Mary, Mary Travers: Mary Travers, 1936-2009

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 17 September 2009

Singer with the 1960s hit-making American folk revival trio Peter, Paul and Mary. ...

Florence and the Machine: Academy, Birmingham ****

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 21 September 2009

FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE'S musical ascent has been remarkably precipitous. ...

La Roux: 'Of course Lady Gaga's not my thing'

Profile and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 24 September 2009

IT IS MORNING, and 21-year-old Elly Jackson – or La Roux, arguably the biggest new pop star of the year – is on the Eurostar ...

Music's intellectual-property eviction notice

Essay by John Pidgeon, The Guardian, 24 September 2009

What made old singles so great? Session musicians, that's what. So why are those players finding their royalties disappearing? ...

Esben and the Witch: New Band Of The Week: Esben and the Witch

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 25 September 2009

BRIGHTON TRIO ESBEN AND THE WITCH channel literature, nature and sorrow to create hauntingly ethereal tales of dark, foreboding romance. ...

Spandau Ballet's Reunion: Once More With Girdles

Report and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 1 October 2009

With 10 top 10 hits, Spandau Ballet were the epitome of 80s pop. After much bitterness and a court case, the band are reunited again ...

Fat Freddy's Drop: Boondigga & the Big BW

Review by Charlie Gillett, The Guardian, 4 October 2009

WARNING: of the nine tracks here, only two run for less than six minutes, and both of them stretch way past five. You had better ...

Chase and Status: New band of the week — Chase and Status

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 5 October 2009

HAILED BY PHARRELL, Snoop and Jay-Z as go-to remix guys, this drum'n'bass duo capture a mood of high-energy menace ...

Thom Yorke and Flea: Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles

Live Review by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 5 October 2009

THE NEWS THAT THOM YORKE had come to Los Angeles and formed a temporary supergroup with Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers was surprise ...

Nick Drake: Robert Kirby, 1948-2009

Obituary by Colin Irwin, The Guardian, 7 October 2009

IN HIS FIRST YEAR as a music student at Cambridge University, Robert Kirby sought to join Footlights, the undergraduates' fabled arts and drama club. He ...

Age of Chance's Bangers and Mash-ups

Retrospective and Interview by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 8 October 2009

Sampling, dance-rock, cross-genre cover versions ... Age of Chance did it all 20 years ago, but no one was listening. As their back catalogue goes ...

The Instrumental Touch

Comment by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 8 October 2009

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC is the neglected child of rock and pop — but it's the absence of a human presence that can make it so interesting. ...

Depeche Mode, Gary Numan, Ultravox: One Nation Under a Moog: How Britain Went Synthpop

Retrospective by Simon Reynolds, The Guardian, 10 October 2009

As new BBC4 documentary Synth Britannia shows, the synthesizer first dehumanised then re-humanised British pop, fulfilled the DIY promise of punk, and changed how bands ...

Egyptian Hip Hop: New band of the week: Egyptian Hip Hop

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 12 October 2009

This Manchester band have never set foot in Cairo and don't rap on their records, so they're perfectly named then ...

Gavin Bryars Ensemble: Union Chapel, London

Live Review by John Lewis, The Guardian, 19 October 2009

THIS OPENS a series of concerts raising money for Margins, a charity for London's homeless, and there's something grimly appropriate about tonight's choice of material. ...

Dizzee Rascal: Roundhouse, London ****

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 22 October 2009

"DIZZEE RASCAL for prime minister, yeah?" As if to emphasise that he is more than just an east London grime MC these days, Rascal ended ...

Robbie Williams: Writing Off Robbie Williams Is Unfair And Premature

Comment by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 22 October 2009

Expectations of immediate success are threatening to strangle Robbie Williams's comeback at birth, even when his single is selling well and the new album is ...

Phoenix: By the Time They Get to… Phoenix

Interview by Andrew Purcell, The Guardian, 23 October 2009

GROWING UP IN Versailles, an affluent suburb of Paris, the four boys who would eventually form Phoenix bonded over their love of American pop culture. ...

Sufjan Stevens's symphony for New York

Report and Interview by Andrew Purcell, The Guardian, 27 October 2009

THE BROOKLYN-QUEENS EXPRESSWAY is a miserable stretch of road. The BQE, as New Yorkers call it, has narrow lanes, no hard shoulder, countless potholes, and ...

Fleetwood Mac: Manchester Arena

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 29 October 2009

"THIS BAND have a complex emotional history," begins guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, hinting at Fleetwood Mac's rollercoaster of bedhopping, cocaine, mental illness and religious cults, which ...

JLS: 'We Became An Unshakable Force'

Report and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 29 October 2009

X Factor runners up don't usually win Mobos — but JLS were always meant for more than talent shows ...

Brendan Mullen Obituary

Obituary by Jon Savage, The Guardian, 2 November 2009

Nightclub owner who acted as a catalyst for the LA punk scene ...

Bon Jovi: Alan McGee meets Jon Bon Jovi

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 5 November 2009

When Creation boss and Oasis mentor Alan McGee confessed his admiration for veteran rocker Jon Bon Jovi on a Guardian blog, we just had to ...

Ellie Goulding: First Sight: Ellie Goulding

Guide by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 5 November 2009

WHO IS SHE? The 21-year-old future of pop, if you believe the hype. Born in Hereford and brought up in rural Wales, she now makes ...

Journey: Why is Journey's 'Don't Stop Believin'' Back in the Charts?

Comment by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 5 November 2009

The 17th bestselling track in the country is the power ballad 'Don't Stop Believin'' from 1981. How did Journey get so popular? ...

Just Jack: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 11 November 2009

IT IS POSSIBLE THAT if Jack Allsopp had picked a stage name with a bit more brio — Barnstorming Jack, say — he might have fulfilled ...

Carla Bley: Queen Elizabeth Hall, London

Live Review by John L. Walters, The Guardian, 19 November 2009

AT FIRST GLANCE, Carla Bley's current band, the Lost Chords, look like just another jazz quartet. Then you listen to what they play, and realise ...

Gil Scott-Heron: I'm New Here

Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 19 November 2009

Rather than treating them like national treasures, let's hope musicians stretch their prejudices about what older artists can do ...

John Mayer: 'You can't make music as a famous person'

Interview by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 19 November 2009

"I BASICALLY VISUALISED a record called Battle Studies as a way to sum up the last two years of my life: what I've learned and ...

Badly Drawn Boy, Goldfrapp, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Rock Stars Storm the Movie Soundtrack World

Overview by Graeme Thomson, The Guardian, 19 November 2009

From Goldfrapp to Badly Drawn Boy, from Karen O to Nick Cave, more and more big names are lining up to write music for films. ...

Cheryl Cole: Twist and pout: Cheryl Cole's new album cover

Essay by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 19 November 2009

If the pose seems vaguely familiar, it may be that side-on, over-the-shoulder look. Laura Barton has certainly seen it somewhere before. ...

Cocteau Twins: Elizabeth Fraser: The Cocteau Twins and me

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 26 November 2009

For 18 years she was the "voice of God" in the Cocteau Twins. Now Elizabeth Fraser finds it too difficult even to think about her ...

Newton Faulkner: Union Chapel, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 26 November 2009

NEWTON FAULKNER seemed a whimsical choice to headline the final night of the annual Mencap Little Noise series — previous shows had featured more obvious ...

They've Got The X Factor

Profile and Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 3 December 2009

In the last 10 years, The X Factor and its ilk have bucked record-buying trends and breathed new life into a dying industry. We talk ...

Little Boots, Gary Numan: When Gary Numan met Little Boots

Report and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 3 December 2009

He arrived in 1979, bringing synthpop to the masses. She is part of the bold new wave reinventing the genre for the 21st century. So ...

Beach House: New Band Of The Week — Beach House

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 7 December 2009

It is only a matter of time before these US alt-rockers will be acclaimed for their slow, atmospheric lo-fi lullabies. ...

The Bravery, Girl Thing, Andrew WK: Yesterday's promising music stars: where are they now?

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 10 December 2009

THEY HAD THE RIGHT BACKERS and the buzz, but suddenly ... nothing happened. What went wrong with these three much-touted noughties acts, Girl Thing, the ...

Ellie Goulding: Pop Sensation

Profile and Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 12 December 2009

"I KNOW THESE cups look dirty," says Ellie Goulding, frowning at the two floral mugs she carries across the room, "but really they're not. It's just ...

Top Of The Noughties Pops

Essay by Bob Stanley, The Guardian, 17 December 2009

Can Bob Stanley listen to every No 1 song from the noughties and escape with his sanity intact? He recalls a musical decade that ranged ...

Travis: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 22 December 2009

GLASGOW FOLK-POPSTERS Travis named themselves after the psychotic Robert De Niro character in Taxi Driver, but anyone chancing on them halfway through their sold-out Christmas ...

Simon Reynolds's Notes On The Noughties: Clearing Up The Indie Landfill

Comment by Simon Reynolds, The Guardian, 4 January 2010

At the start of the noughties, indie was seen as the rubbish dump of contemporary music. But by the end of the decade, it had ...

Vampire Weekend: 'They're Attacking A Version Of Us That Doesn't Exist'

Profile and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 7 January 2010

VAMPIRE WEEKEND are being mobbed in California. By teenage girls. In a skate park normally frequented by crystal meth addicts. What makes this so unexpected ...

So Solid Crew: 'What We're Doing Is Bigger Than Music'

Interview by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 14 January 2010

After a dramatic rise and a messy, destructive fall, So Solid are back. This time they intend to keep the tunes – and the money ...

Bobby Charles obituary

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 15 January 2010

THE ROCK'N'ROLL CLASSICS 'See You Later, Alligator' and 'Walking to New Orleans' are among the compositions of the Louisiana-born singer-songwriter Bobby Charles, who has died aged ...

Summer Camp: New Band Of The Week — Summer Camp

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 18 January 2010

This secretive boy-girl duo have so far retained a sense of anonymity and mystique, but not for much longer — they are going to be ...

Kate & Anna McGarrigle: Kate McGarrigle: obituary

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 19 January 2010

Folk singer and songwriter at the heart of an innovative music-making family ...

Kate & Anna McGarrigle: Kate McGarrigle remembered

Comment by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 20 January 2010

THERE ARE TWO words that have always epitomised the voice of Kate McGarrigle for me – they came in a Rolling Stone review that followed ...

Laura Veirs: Academy, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 20 January 2010

LADY GAGA HAS A BRA FIRING SPARKS; La Roux has that gravity-defying quiff. Pacific north-western chanteuse Laura Veirs's only visual prop is the large bulge ...

Delphic, Egyptian Hip Hop, Everything Everything, Hurts: Manchester's music scene now has Everything Everything

Report and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 22 January 2010

THERE'S AN OLD adage in the trades (the music business, newspapers and magazines) that value glamour and novelty: two's a coincidence, three's a scene. In ...

Manchester's Music Scene Now Has Everything Everything

Overview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 22 January 2010

Never mind the Buzzcocks... or Stone Roses, or New Order: Manchester can stop trading on its former glories. Three new bands explain how they are ...

Lonelady: Paul Morley's showing off … Lonelady

Profile and Interview by Paul Morley, The Guardian, 22 January 2010

Paul Morley meets Warp's new Mancunian signing Lonelady, who he would never tip as the next big thing, but might, for those missing a certain ...

Marina and the Diamonds: Dingwalls, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 27 January 2010

AS 2009 DAWNED, the critical consensus held that female-fronted art-pop would dominate the year's musical landscape. This prediction proved remarkably ­prescient, with Florence and the ...

Midlake: 'I Wish I'd Heard Black Sabbath in High School'

Interview by Sylvie Simmons, The Guardian, 28 January 2010

Texas rockers Midlake grew up playing jazz, but fell headlong into a love affair with vintage rock. Here they talk about their latest fixations, and ...

Lonelady: New artist of the week — Lonelady

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 29 January 2010

This solitary singer's bad-mood music conjures the dark, dour Manchester of Ian Curtis and Ian Brown. ...

Flexipop!'s shameless pop legacy

Retrospective by Tim Lott, The Guardian, 4 February 2010

Trashy, silly and unashamedly puerile, Flexipop! only lasted two years. But, says novelist Tim Lott, who started the magazine, its revolutionary spirit can still be ...

Stornoway: "We once won a giant bowl of fruit"

Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 4 February 2010

From gigs in camper vans to being on TV with Jay-Z, it's been a rollercoaster of a ride for Stornoway so far. No wonder they ...

The Low Anthem: The Folk-Rockers Who Sing About Darwin

Profile and Interview by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 4 February 2010

"I HOPE PEOPLE don't think we're just relics," says Ben Knox Miller, sincerely, dressed in a jacket fashioned from an old burlap flour sack, and ...

Mumford & Sons: The Almighty Power of Mumford & Sons

Profile and Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 11 February 2010

THE PUB IS filling up: City boys in pinstriped suits, women clutching dry white wines; candles are lit on upstairs tables, voices rise to fill ...

Lissie: New artist of the week — Lissie

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 12 February 2010

A guitar-toting Americana lovechild who belongs to the 1970s, and whose new single is more freeway rock than floaty folk. ...

Syd Arthur: New Band of the Week: Syd Arthur

Report by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 15 February 2010

These funky folkies are sons and heirs of those Canterbury musicians who did whimsical things with psychedelic and progressive rock. ...

Lostprophets: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 16 February 2010

THE SINGER WEARS A CHANEL WATCH and dates TV presenters, his bandmates have the angular facial planes of male models, and you can bet they ...

Ronika: New band of the week — Ronika

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 18 February 2010

THIS CANDY-COATED QUEEN might look like Gwen Stefani, but her sugary surface conceals a deeper link with underground dance. ...

Hot Chip: Academy, Newcastle ****

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 19 February 2010

HOT CHIP walk on to deafening applause… on tape. Then the real audience start clapping, not just at their arrival, but at the audacity of ...

Fionn Regan: My Way or the Highway

Profile and Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 22 February 2010

His debut album was nominated for the Mercury prize – then his label locked away the follow-up. For his third album, Fionn Regan is going ...

Whitney Houston: Why someone in Whitney Houston's condition shouldn't be on stage

Report by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 24 February 2010

WHITNEY HOUSTON has a problem. In fact, she seems to have a lot of problems. According to reports from Monday night's concert in Brisbane, Australia ...

From Mod to Emo: Why Pop Tribes Are Still Making a Scene

Overview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 25 February 2010

Like-minded music fans have been herding together for half a century — but are die-hard pop tribes now a thing of the past? Do today's ...

BBC 6 Music: The Beauties and the Beast

Comment by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 27 February 2010

Passion, intelligence and wonderful tunes — 6 Music has it all, and found many fans despite its tiny budget. So why on earth is it ...

Air: Roundhouse, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 28 February 2010

WHEN Air first appeared with their 1998 debut album, Moon Safari, the French duo seemed to define the musical zeitgeist. ...

Fingers Inc.: Fingers, Inc: 'Mystery of Love' (Club Version)

Retrospective by Jon Savage, The Guardian, 2 March 2010

FIRST RELEASED in 1985 (on Alleviated Records), then remixed by Larry Heard for a DJ International 12", 'Mystery of Love' seemed to come out of ...

Elvis Presley: The Return of the King

Retrospective by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 4 March 2010

Elvis Presley left the army 50 years ago this week, to suggestions that the music he pioneered had died in his absence. The truth turned ...

Kate Nash: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 8 March 2010

ONE OF POP'S most curious phenomenons sees formerly squeaky pop stars rebelling against what made them famous. Just as the manufactured Monkees ended up singing psychedelic songs ...

Sparklehorse: Mark Linkous, 1962-2010

Obituary by Rob Hughes, The Guardian, 9 March 2010

THE AMERICAN singer-songwriter Mark Linkous, who has killed himself aged 47, worked with the Flaming Lips, Daniel Johnston and Danger Mouse, but is best known ...

Wu Lyf — New Band Of The Week

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 10 March 2010

This mysterious crew appear to be some kind of strange Manc cult, full of quasi-spiritual fervour and revolutionary intent. ...

Frightened Rabbit in the headlights

Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 11 March 2010

Frightened Rabbit's Scott Hutchison was so shy he was kept back a year at nursery — but now fame in American beckons, writes Jude Rogers. ...

Lady Antebellum: New band of the week: Lady Antebellum

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 17 March 2010

There's no denying their huge success in the US, but the polished country-rock trio are simply not worthy of an iPod slot next to the ...

Joan Jett, Kristin Hersh, Le Tigre, Throwing Muses: What Happened To Angry Female Music Stars?

Comment by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 25 March 2010

Are there any angry women left in rock and pop? Joan Jett, riot grrrl figurehead Kathleen Hanna and others talk about where it went wrong ...

Frank Zappa, Tom Waits: Herb Cohen: Combative label boss and manager of Frank Zappa and Tom Waits

Obituary by Rob Hughes, The Guardian, 1 April 2010

HERB COHEN, who has died aged 77 of complications from cancer, did not elicit much affection from the artists he managed, but he played a ...

The Cranberries: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 2 April 2010

BANDS GIVE ALL sorts of reasons for reuniting, but the Cranberries' must be the most novel: in 2009, after five years apart, they decided to have ...

Tinie Tempah: Koko, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 7 April 2010

THE 21-YEAR-OLD south London grime MC and rapper Tinie Tempah spent two weeks at No. 1 last month with his abrasive single 'Pass Out', and ...

N-Dubz: Academy, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 8 April 2010

N-DUBZ SHOW that pop's generation gap is alive and well. For anyone over 21, the north London trio's trademark hats look like the sort of ...

Malcolm McLaren 1946-2010

Obituary by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 9 April 2010

THE IMPRESARIO and iconoclast Malcolm McLaren, who has died aged 64 from the cancer mesothelioma, was one of the pivotal, yet most divisive influences on ...

Paolo Nutini: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 11 April 2010

PAOLO NUTINI has quietly become a commercial A-lister. His second album, Sunny Side Up, made the Paisley singer-songwriter the bestselling British male artist of last ...

I Am Arrows: New Band Of The Week: I Am Arrows

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 15 April 2010

FORMER RAZORLIGHT DRUMMER Andy Burrows turns clever multi-instrumentalist — with surprisingly listenable results. ...

She & Him: A Musical Marriage Made in Heaven

Profile and Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 15 April 2010

"HOW'S THE SOY cappuccino?" asks Zooey Deschanel, sliding back into her seat and peering over at the white cup and saucer set before M Ward. ...

Dee Dee Bridgewater: Barbican, London

Live Review by John L. Walters, The Guardian, 19 April 2010

DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER has a technique and musicality that bests most performers of her generation, and her understanding of the "great American songbook" makes pretenders ...

The Duke & the King: Union Chapel, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 21 April 2010

"AIN'T NO DUST CLOUD from heaven can keep us from our congregation! Can I get an 'amen'?" demands the Duke & the King's leader, Simone ...

John Grant: Queen of Denmark (Bella Union)

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 22 April 2010

JOHN GRANT used to front the Czars, whose failure to translate acclaim into sales no doubt further fuelled his supersized self-loathing. ...

The National: Gloomy … with a Hint of Sunshine

Report and Interview by Andrew Purcell, The Guardian, 22 April 2010

IT WAS PAST SIX in the morning, in the bar of Bono's hotel in Dublin. The members of the National and REM were seated around ...

LCD Soundsystem: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 26 April 2010

HAVING VOWED to disband LCD Soundsystem when he turned 40, James Murphy – who reached that milestone in February – is currently on his (presumably) ...

Pavement Get Back On The Horse

Interview by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 29 April 2010

Pavement's reunion tour is a gamble in more ways than one — especially for its horse-racing drummer ...

Usher: "The fans want my soul"

Interview by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 29 April 2010

Baring his soul is second nature to R&B superstar Usher, but although he has documented his recent divorce on a new album, he's got to ...

Fool's Gold: The Cockpit, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 4 May 2010

FROM VAMPIRE WEEKEND TO FOALS, afrobeat has become a part of pop lately, but there's nothing quite like this. Fool's Gold aren't — as one ...

Foals: "I built a fortress around myself"

Report and Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 6 May 2010

IN AN AMSTERDAM square, tourists all around, Yannis Philippakis is pouring his heart out. The singer of Foals is describing how he has kept a ...

Kris Kristofferson: A Nashville Rebel Reminisces

Retrospective and Interview by Graeme Thomson, The Guardian, 6 May 2010

THERE'S SOME wonderful YouTube footage of Kris Kristofferson receiving a gong at the 1970 Country Music Association awards. He lopes on stage with his hair ...

Bobby McFerrin gets vocal

Interview by John Lewis, The Guardian, 7 May 2010

Composer, conductor, vocalist, YouTube inspiration: you can't pin Bobby McFerrin down. His latest idea? Completely improvised concerts ...

Joanna Newsom: "Is It Time For A Glass Of Wine?"

Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 9 May 2010

She models for Armani, enjoys a game of baseball and likes to stay out drinking cocktails. Jude Rogers meets Joanna Newsom, the outspoken singer making ...

Scouting for Girls: Academy, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 9 May 2010

AFTER MEETING AT SCHOOL and in the cub scouts, Harrow three-piece Scouting for Girls have become absurdly successful. Their 2007 debut went double platinum and ...

Cameron Carpenter: Rhinestone Cowboy

Profile and Interview by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 20 May 2010

Organist and showbusiness are words rarely put together. But Cameron Carpenter is a man on a mission, and, watch out, he's developing a secret weapon ...

The Antlers: Scala, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 23 May 2010

WITH THE BLANCHED, haunting Hospice, New York trio the Antlers made one of the most devastating albums of last year. Written by 23-year-old singer and ...

Alicia Keys: O2 Arena, London

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 26 May 2010

HOOKING UP with Jay-Z for 'Empire State of Mind' has elevated Alicia Keys to a level of stardom where it will no longer do to ...

Everything But The Girl: Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt: Everything But The Grief

Profile and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 26 May 2010

They wrote sad songs, survived serious illness and fell out of love with pop. Now Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt are back. ...

Grizzly Bear: Freed From Captivity

Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 27 May 2010

Grizzly Bear are the cult indie group that suddenly got rather big. Jude Rogers talks to their frontmen. ...

Marshall Jefferson, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs : Marshall Jefferson and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs

Comment by Paul Morley, The Guardian, 28 May 2010

To Paul Morley's left, '80s Chicago dance DJ Marshall Jefferson. To his right, Orlando from up-and-coming producers Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. Can Morley find the ...

Lauryn Hill: Whatever happened to Lauryn Hill?

Essay by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 28 May 2010

THE FORMER FUGEE won five Grammys for her chart-topping solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, in 1998. But we are still waiting for the ...

Rage Against the Machine: Finsbury Park, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 7 June 2010

LAST CHRISTMAS a Facebook campaign powered Californian rap-metal veterans Rage Against the Machine to the top of the singles chart, pipping The X Factor victor ...

Brad Paisley: A Different Kind of Cowboy

Interview by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 10 June 2010

Brad Paisley is not your usual Nashville country star. He talks about how Obama made him proud to be American – and why he dreams ...

Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant: Going veggie with Robert Plant

Memoir by Caroline Boucher, The Guardian, 20 June 2010

It wasn't easy grabbing a decent stew in Carnaby Street with the Led Zeppelin singer, says Caroline Boucher. ...

Frank Sidebottom: Chris Sievey 1955-2010

Obituary by Rob Hughes, The Guardian, 22 June 2010

Musician, entertainer and alter ego of the cult comedy creation Frank Sidebottom. ...

The Gaslight Anthem: Manchester Academy

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 27 June 2010

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN'S GUEST APPEARANCE with the Gaslight Anthem at last year's Glastonbury cemented the UK's continuing relationship with sweat-soaked Americana and further propelled New Jersey's ...

Grizzly Bear: Hyde Park, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 29 June 2010

NOW IN ITS SECOND YEAR, the Serpentine Sessions festival is the absolute obverse of Glastonbury's sprawling eclecticism. With audience numbers capped firmly at 3,000, this ...

Lady Gaga and the New World Order

Comment by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 1 July 2010

Lady Gaga's music videos are undoubtedly elaborate — but is there any truth to one blogger's claims that they are loaded with occult references and ...

Mystery Jets: Somerset House, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 9 July 2010

FOUR YEARS AFTER THEIR FIRST ALBUM, Mystery Jets must be resigned to the knowledge that, unless the music world tilts on its axis, their quirky pop ...

The Black Keys: "It's ridiculous to say that we play the blues"

Report and Interview by Andrew Purcell, The Guardian, 9 July 2010

FOR EIGHT MONTHS NOW, since the end of a relationship, the Black Keys drummer Pat Carney has been living in New York's Lower East Side. ...

Sugar Minott

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 12 July 2010

Prolific Jamaican musician who was a pioneer of dancehall reggae ...

Little Axe: From blues to hip-hop and back

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 15 July 2010

SKIP MCDONALD was playing a gig in Portugal, billed as just him and guitar. A fair portion of the audience had seen the billing and ...

Bill Frisell, Jan Garbarek, Keith Jarrett, Pat Metheny: Manfred Eicher: The Sound Man

Profile and Interview by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 17 July 2010

Admired by Radiohead, friend of Godard, Manfred Eicher is the founder of ECM, one of the most successful jazz labels in the world. He tells ...

Katy B – New artist of the week

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 19 July 2010

This Brit School graduate is to dubstep what Tracy Thorn was to trip-hop — the go-to girl for those wanting classy female input. ...

Rumer: New band of the week — Rumer

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 21 July 2010

FOUR NEW SONGS prove that forthcoming single, 'Slow', isn't just a beautiful fluke for this soulful, Karen Carpenter-esque vocalist. ...

Erykah Badu: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 28 July 2010

THE LOT OF AN ERYKAH BADU fan isn't always a happy one. In the long queue outside Brixton Academy, two women are indignantly discussing the ...

J. Cole

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 4 August 2010

This 25-year-old MC is clearly going to be massive but it remains to be seen if he is the true saviour of Real Hip-Hop ...

Bobby Hebb, 1938-2010

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 5 August 2010

US singer-songwriter whose greatest hit – much recorded by others – was 'Sunny'. ...

Lady Antebellum: Shepherd's Bush Empire

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 August 2010

THE GULF BETWEEN UK AND US MUSICAL TASTES is epitomised by Nashville's Lady Antebellum. Back home, the trio's emollient country-pop — which, to British ears, ...

Nicki Minaj: New Band of the Day: Nicki Minaj

Report by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 16 August 2010

Can Nicki Minaj challenge the likes of Lady Gaga when it comes to future-female pop star? Or will her super-sexualised persona seem dated in six ...

Dylan LeBlanc: "Songs are like headstones to me"

Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 19 August 2010

Dylan LeBlanc has crammed the baggage of his 20-year-old life — lost loves, southern living and breakdown — into his music. Now the new Neil ...

Stromae: New Band of the Week: Stromae

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 19 August 2010

You don't need a degree in French to realise this Belgian exponent of mournful Euro disco is not a happy bunny ...

LCD Soundsystem, The Pixies, The Zombies: Why Your Favourite Band Should Split Up

Overview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 19 August 2010

From the Pixies to the Zombies, Jude Rogers talks to the bands who chose to burn out, not fade away ...

Janelle Monáe: Sister From Another Planet

Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 26 August 2010

Inspired by sci-fi novels and Afro-futurists, Janelle Monáe is a cyber diva taking R&B into far-out places. Dorian Lynskey meets the most compelling new character ...

The Last Poets: After The Party: Music and the Black Panthers

Retrospective and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 2 September 2010

ONE DAY LAST DECEMBER, Umar Bin Hassan of the Last Poets attended a gathering in Chicago to commemorate local Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton, ...

Stromae: Cheese (Mosaert)

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 2 September 2010

IT'S DARING of Belgian rapper Stromae to give his first album a title that encourages gags about it being a load of fromage, and equally brave to ...

Caitlin Rose: Slaughtered Lamb, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 5 September 2010

"THERE SURE ARE A LOT OF YOU HERE TONIGHT," observes Caitlin Rose, gazing out at the packed cellar-bar of this London folk club. There's a ...

Bruno Mars: New Band of the Day: Bruno Mars

Report by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 13 September 2010

From adoration to zzzzzzzzz, purveyor of mellifluous pabulum Bruno Mars runs the whole gamut of romantic cliche ...

Rumer: Bloomsbury Theatre, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 15 September 2010

RUMER'S PRISTINE VOICE — a dead ringer for Karen Carpenter's — is best suited to the kind of luxurious easy-listening treatment that sold millions of ...

Black Lace, Jive Bunny, Stock Aitken Waterman: Novelty Records: When pop goes bad

Retrospective by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 22 September 2010

The excruciatingly catchy novelty song was a hallmark of the 1980s. Is it back? And how do you write one? Dave Simpson talks to the ...

Bruce Springsteen: "People thought we were gone. Finished."

Retrospective and Interview by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 23 September 2010

Hobbled by legal wrangles, a frustrated Bruce Springsteen turned Born to Run's optimism on its head – and Darkness on the Edge of Town was ...

The Duke & The King: The Duke and the King: Long Live the Duke and the King

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 23 September 2010

ONLY A YEAR after their acclaimed debut, Simone Felice's post-Felice Brothers band's follow-up is undeniably lovely. ...

CeeLo Green: Cee Lo Green: "I'd do a lot more damage if I could"

Interview by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 30 September 2010

There aren't many musicians who would consider releasing an expletive-laden viral hit to be selling out in some way. Angus Batey meets the remarkable pop-soulster ...

Belle And Sebastian: Love, Belle and Sebastian-style

Interview by Laura Barton, Ian Watson, The Guardian, 30 September 2010

A collection of love songs featuring Norah Jones on vocals — have indie's hippest wallflowers gone mainstream? Not for a second, finds Laura Barton ...

Mark Ronson and the Business Intl.: Hackney Empire, London ***

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 30 September 2010

IT'S NO LONGER UNUSUAL for producers to become artists in their own right, but Mark Ronson looks like he hasn't quite thought the whole thing ...

of Montreal: Academy 2, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 7 October 2010

THE STAGE IS DOMINATED by a large, caped figure, wearing a three-foot goldfish on his head, and firing fake guns at the crowd. This bizarre creature ...

Blade, KRS-One, Public Enemy, Ruthless Rap Assassins: The hip-hop heritage society

Report and Interview by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 7 October 2010

Why aren't Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions and other classic hip-hop acts lovingly reissued in the same way as other genres? Because guardians of rap's ...

These New Puritans: A Band Like No Other

Report and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 7 October 2010

Part high-concept innovators, part wannabe pop moguls, These New Puritans are a band entirely apart from their peers. Dorian Lynskey asks what makes the difference. ...

Hurts: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 10 October 2010

WITH GEORGE OSBORNE channelling the economic policies of Geoffrey Howe, Manchester duo Hurts appear equally enamoured of the ways of the early 1980s. Their fixation ...

Solomon Burke — obituary

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 10 October 2010

ONE OF THE ALL-TIME GREAT American soul singers and songwriters, he scored a huge hit with 'Everybody Needs Somebody to Love'. ...

Brandon Flowers: Academy, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 14 October 2010

FROM THE STROKES' Julian Casablancas to Mick Jagger, rock frontmen have often stumbled over the transition to solo singer — but Brandon Flowers has never ...

Nadine Coyle, Girls Aloud: Girls Aloud's Nadine Coyle On Her Solo Debut

Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 14 October 2010

Often hailed as the best singer in Girls Aloud, now Nadine Coyle is going solo — with a little help from Tesco's. So is this ...

John Legend, The Roots: John Legend and the Roots: Hearts, Minds and Soul

Report and Interview by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 19 October 2010

John Legend and the Roots' album of '60s and '70s protest songs is no mere history lesson – it's an open letter to a divided ...

Robyn: Academy, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 20 October 2010

ROBYN CARLSSON is one of a rare breed who bridge the divide between pop fluff and cool electro. Her throbbing electronic music nods to mainstream ...

Suede: Suede Brush Up

Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 21 October 2010

Drugs, M.E. and despair sent the poor urchins of Britpop their separate ways in 2003. Now Suede have come roaring back to life. ...

Tony Wilson: A Fitting Headstone For Tony Wilson's Grave

Comment by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 26 October 2010

A memorial headstone for Factory Records founder Tony Wilson has been unveiled in a Manchester cemetery this week. ...

Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan: "I Write the Songs; He's the Eye Candy": Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan

Profile and Interview by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 28 October 2010

IT'S THE CONTRASTS between Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan, clearly visible from any seat in the Barbican tonight, that you notice first. Campbell, stage left, ...

Heaven 17

Retrospective by Paul Morley, The Guardian, 29 October 2010

PAUL MORLEY re-introduces Heaven 17 as they dive into the nostalgia circuit. ...

Summer Camp - a profile

Profile by Paul Morley, The Guardian, 29 October 2010

IT'S ALREADY POSSIBLE to read so much about slippy, trippy new boy-meets-girl pop group Summer Camp in that online otherworld where this kind of hyper-smart, ...

Shirley Collins/Alasdair Roberts/Trembling Bells: Cecil Sharp House, London

Live Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 1 November 2010

IT'S HALLOWEEN weekend in Camden, north London, and ghosts are rising at Cecil Sharp House. ...

Egyptian Hip Hop: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 4 November 2010

SINGER LA ROUX recently pronounced the electro genre "over" — perhaps because of an upsurge of balding 1980s originals whose careers have been revived by ...

Paramore: "We're not just teenybopper superstars"

Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 4 November 2010

Noisy guitars, angsty lyrics, inter-band romance, a little light rebellion — it's a formula that has made Paramore huge. Paul Lester meets their star singer ...

Jamie Woon: New Band Of The Day: Jamie Woon

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 5 November 2010

You'll love the dark side of the Woon, a Brit School singer-songwriter moving towards dubstep. But his smoother songs ... ...

Reg King obituary

Obituary by Pat Long, The Guardian, 7 November 2010

Accomplished soul singer and frontman of mod band the Action ...

Bobby Jameson rages against the Vietnam war

Retrospective by Jon Savage, The Guardian, 10 November 2010

A FANFARE OF slow, church organ chords – straight out of a horror film – resolves into a brutal Bo Diddley beat. A few blasts of ...

Local Natives: Clockwork from Orange County

Profile and Interview by Andrew Purcell, The Guardian, 11 November 2010

After years of honing their tight harmonies, southern Californians Local Natives are breaking out. But they've suffered a few comparisons too many. ...

Die Antwoord: Scala, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 16 November 2010

IF DIE Antwoord are a joke, they're a painfully acute one. This over-the-top South African rap-rave trio, comprising rappers Ninja and Yolandi Visser and a ...

Paramore: O2 Arena, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 16 November 2010

THEY'VE HAD A NO 1 ALBUM with Brand New Eyes and have sold out their UK arena tour, but Paramore aren't on the musical radar ...

Jedward: Grand Opera House, York

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 17 November 2010

"BY DAY WE HAVE FLAT HAIR, at night we stick our hair up and become superstars," shrieks the John Grimes half of Jedward, explaining the ...

Heaven 17, The Human League, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark: Forgive Us Our Synths – How 80s Pop Found Favour Again

Overview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 18 November 2010

Ostentatiously intellectual and scornful of rock'n'roll cliche, the likes of OMD and Heaven 17 briefly set 80s pop alight – and now they're back in favour. ...

Niki & the Dove: New Band Of The Week: Niki & the Dove

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 19 November 2010

THIS SWEDISH GROUP'S goth-tinged electro-pop is full of witchy darkness and mystical allure. ...

McFly: Paul Morley's showing off McFly

Profile by Paul Morley, The Guardian, 26 November 2010

Paul Morley describes McFly's ascent from guitar-toting teeny-boppers to 'entertainment hosts' for the multimedia generation. ...

Warpaint - an interview

Interview by Paul Morley, The Guardian, 26 November 2010

Paul Morley steps into the sleepy, mysterious, terrifying world of LA rock band Warpaint. ...

Johnny Flynn's Special Relationship

Profile and Interview by Andrew Purcell, The Guardian, 2 December 2010

Johnny Flynn followed his childhood sweetheart to New York, then came back and fired up the English antifolk scene. He tells Andrew Purcell about a ...

Daft Punk's robots aren't the only ones rocking the multiplex

Report by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 4 December 2010

AT THE END of the trailer to forthcoming movie Somewhere, we are given just two pieces of information: 1) that the film was written and ...

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole: Somewhere Over the Rainbow… lies a crock of gold

Profile and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 5 December 2010

A cover version of 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow', by a ukulele-playing, morbidly obese Hawaiian called Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, has become an unlikely multimillion-seller hit. ...

Wyclef Jean: "Fans are calling me the new Dylan"

Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 5 December 2010

WHAT SCUPPERED Wyclef Jean's bid to be president of Haiti? Well, it wasn't modesty. On the eve of the election result, the rapper talks death ...

Shakira: Manchester Arena ****

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 15 December 2010

"I'M HERE to please you," begins the Colombian superstar Shakira. Then, wearing what may be a coat of paint rather than trousers, she hauls girls ...

The Beach Boys, Cristina, Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard, Shakin' Stevens: Bob Stanley's guide to writing the perfect Christmas hit

Guide by Bob Stanley, The Guardian, 16 December 2010

From Elvis to Shakey, from Cliff Richard to Mark E. Smith, every pop star worth their salt has sung a song of Santa at some ...

Plan B: 'Strickland Banks may be soul, but it's still real life': Plan B

Report and Interview by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 16 December 2010

THE INTERNATIONAL lingua franca of Christmas TV is fromage and France's leading commercial channel, TF1, is no exception. Having arrived in Paris on a lunchtime ...

Ke$ha: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London ****

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 17 December 2010

IT'S EASY TO dismiss Ke$ha as a Primark take on Lady Gaga, but such an appraisal disregards the fact that 23-year-old Kesha Sebert this year ...

Captain Beefheart obituary

Obituary by Caroline Boucher, The Guardian, 18 December 2010

DON VAN VLIET, better known as Captain Beefheart, who has died aged 69 of complications from multiple sclerosis, was one of the most influential American ...

Captain Beefheart: A tour through Captain Beefheart's back catalogue

Retrospective by Jon Savage, The Guardian, 22 December 2010

Don Van Vliet shouldn't be seen as a "weirdo" – he had pop tricks up his sleeve and his most difficult music entered the top ...

The Humblebums, Gerry Rafferty, Stealers Wheel: Gerry Rafferty, 1947-2011

Obituary by Michael Gray, The Guardian, 4 January 2011

Singer and songwriter known for 'Stuck in the Middle With You' and 'Baker Street' ...

Cradle of Filth: Is Dani Filth Suffolk's greatest icon?

Comment by Johnny Sharp, The Guardian, 5 January 2011

When the county's tourist board launched a poll, it didn't count on it being hijacked by Cradle of Filth fans ...

The Decemberists: The Changing of the Seasons

Profile and Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 6 January 2011

A year ago, the Decemberists' Colin Meloy retreated to a house in the woods of northern Oregon. He tells Laura Barton about the effect it ...

Leadbelly: John Szwed: The Man Who Recorded the World – A Biography of Alan Lomax

Book Review by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 8 January 2011

Richard Williams hails the man who devoted his life to recording the songs and soundscapes of America and beyond. ...

Woody Guthrie, Burl Ives, Leadbelly, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Muddy Waters: John Szwed: The Man Who Recorded the World – A Biography of Alan Lomax

Book Review by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 8 January 2011

Richard Williams hails the man who devoted his life to recording the songs and soundscapes of America and beyond. ...

Drake: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 10 January 2011

DRAKE was one of 2010's more singular success stories. ...

Broadcast: Trish Keenan: obituary

Obituary by Pat Long, The Guardian, 18 January 2011

TRISH KEENAN, who has died from pneumonia aged 42, was best known as the singer and songwriter for Broadcast, the cult band that she and ...

The Archies, The Monkees: Don Kirshner

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 20 January 2011

IT IRKED Don Kirshner, who has died of heart failure aged 76, that he was never inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. ...

Gang of Four: Old punks, new Content

Profile and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 20 January 2011

Post-punk masterminds Gang of Four are back with their first new recorded material since their 2004 return to action. But why does it come packaged ...

Charlie Louvin, 1927-2011

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 28 January 2011

THE SINGER AND guitarist Charlie Louvin, who has died aged 83, was half of one of country music's best-loved and most influential double acts. ...

John Barry, 1933-2011

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 31 January 2011

Composer most closely associated with the golden age of James Bond but whose scores ranged from Midnight Cowboy to Dances With Wolves  ...

All About Eve, Cardiacs, Levitation, The Magic Numbers: Cardiacs tribute album to raise money for paralysed singer Tim Smith

Report and Interview by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 3 February 2011

Cardiacs singer Tim Smith suffered a heart attack and a paralysing stroke two years ago, and musicians are now flocking to cover his strange, unique ...

The Bravery: Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 4 February 2011

THERE WAS A TIME, back in 2005, when it looked as if the Bravery would overtake the Killers as the US's premier purveyors of synthy, ...

The White Stripes: Detroit's Rock Heroes Remembered

Retrospective by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 5 February 2011

THERE WAS AN outpouring of grief this week when the White Stripes announced they were to split. Stevie Chick explains their magic while photographer Ewen ...

Arcade Fire: "It's a lot easier to get smaller"

Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 10 February 2011

WITH A No. 1 album on both sides of the Atlantic, Arcade Fire are on the verge of U2-scale stardom. But, ever the provocateurs, they ...

June Tabor: Watery, Not Grave

Profile and Interview by Pete Paphides, The Guardian, 10 February 2011

June Tabor's new album draws inspiration from the sea. But dogs, cows and a margarine ad also featured when Pete Paphides met her. ...

Lady Antebellum: Grammys 2011: Why can't Lady Antebellum find success in the UK?

Report by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 14 February 2011

COUNTRY-POP TRIO Lady Antebellum were The King's Speech of last night's Grammys, winning six awards (compared to Firth and Co's seven at the Batfas), including ...

Lady Gaga, Valentino: Lady Gaga's New Gay Anthem

Comment by Jon Savage, The Guardian, 14 February 2011

Has Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way' got what it takes to be a classic gay anthem? Jon Savage on the debt she owes to a ...

Bright Eyes: Scala, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 15 February 2011

IT'S THE DAY before Conor Oberst's 31st birthday but a spontaneous audience rendition of 'Happy Birthday' has left the Nebraska singer-songwriter grimacing. "Well, it's one ...

Jason Derulo at Academy, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 23 February 2011

"You're the one for me," sings Jason Derulo, into the eyes of a girl hauled from the audience on to the stage. They embrace so ...

Maggoty Lamb goes behind the barricades in Rock Writers' Class War

Comment by Ben Thompson, The Guardian, 23 February 2011

Journalists would have us believe it's public-school leavers v the salt of the earth in the battle of the charts. Is that really the case? ...

Amanda Ghost: not in Kansas any more

Interview by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 24 February 2011

NO ONE WAS MORE SHOCKED than singer-songwriter Amanda Ghost when she was asked to run Epic Records. She talks about what peeking behind the music-industry curtain taught ...

Noah and the Whale: "I never thought of myself as a singer"

Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 24 February 2011

With a new outlook, new drummer and some nice new shirts, Noah and the Whale are ready to meet the world head on. But their ...

Foo Fighters, CeeLo Green: Foo Fighters/Cee Lo Green: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 27 February 2011

ONE-OFF shows throw up some bizarre juxtapositions, and at this NME-sponsored Big Gig, CeeLo Green was painfully aware he was not the support act that ...

Talk Talk: How Talk Talk Spoke To Today's Artists

Retrospective by Ben Myers, The Guardian, 28 February 2011

IN HIS WEIGHTY 2010 TOME Electric Eden: Unearthing Britain's Visionary Music, Rob Young charted a century's worth of musicians who helped define British folk. In ...

Kenny Gamble: "Philadelphia was the party with a tormented soul"

Profile and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 3 March 2011

Philly Soul's sweet sound hid masked warnings about growing chasms in 1970s American society ...

Lupe Fiasco: "I have the right to speak out"

Interview by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 3 March 2011

"SOLZHENITSYN PUT IT VERY QUAINTLY," says Lupe Fiasco. "Basically, there's a duality in everything — there's two sides to every story. Sometimes they complement each ...

Justin Bieber: NIA, Birmingham

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 6 March 2011

JUSTIN BIEBER fans will tell you there are two only kinds of people in the world: "Beliebers" and the rest of us. For those who ...

Deerhunter: The Psychedelic South: Deerhunter's Atlanta

Profile and Interview by Martin Aston, The Guardian, 10 March 2011

NOTE: In 2011, I flew to Atlanta, Georgia, to spend the weekend with Bradford Cox, frontman of the city's great neo-psychedelic rockers Deerhunter, for the ...

Chase and Status: Chase & Status: Roundhouse, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 13 March 2011

IN THE LATE 1980S, Wimbledon FC became known as the least aesthetic but most effective of football teams. Eschewing all nuance or subtlety, they played ...

Rumer: The persistence of Rumer

Interview by Pete Paphides, The Guardian, 17 March 2011

Sarah Joyce was given a mission by her dying mother: to make peace with her past. She talks about the journey to Pakistan that freed ...

Katy Perry: Hammersmith Apollo, London ****

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 18 March 2011

KATY PERRY is strutting across the stage, a giant spray of feathers fanning out from her tiny backside, and she's singing, "I wanna see your ...

Jet Harris & Tony Meehan, The Shadows: Jet Harris, 1939-2011

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 21 March 2011

The first and greatest bass guitarist of the Shadows, he also topped the charts with drummer Tony Meehan. ...

Folk's man of mystery: is Cecil Sharp a folk hero or villain?

Retrospective by Colin Irwin, The Guardian, 24 March 2011

IT SOUNDS LIKE some hideous TV reality show dreamed up by Simon Cowell and Andrew Lloyd Webber during a night on the lash. Dump eight ...

Loleatta Holloway, 1946-2011

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 24 March 2011

Her voice made 'Ride on Time' a smash hit in 1989 ...

The Hoosiers: Pop 'til you're dropped: The Hoosiers' major-label woe

Profile and Interview by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 24 March 2011

How tight is the margin between being the toast of your record company and being a failure? One chart place, as the Hoosiers found out ...

Kyuss: Kings of the Stoner Age

Retrospective and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 25 March 2011

"I DIDN'T THINK THAT at 40 years of age I would still be talking about generator parties," Kyuss frontman John Garcia says with a puzzled ...

Kylie Minogue: Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 27 March 2011

KYLIE MINOGUE's Aphrodite – Les Folies tour, which arrived in Britain with two dates in Cardiff last weekend before taking up a five-night residency at ...

Crystal Fighters: Bringing Basque the beats

Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 28 March 2011

The UK's Crystal Fighters are reinventing Spanish folk. How? ...

The Unthanks: Howard Assembly Room, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 29 March 2011

THE UNTHANKS' startling folk has all the eerie power of their native Northumbria's coast. Backed by trumpet, drums and a female string section reminiscent of ...

Taylor Swift: O2, London ****

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 31 March 2011

ONE NIGHT in London, even a night at the O2, is small beer compared to Taylor Swift's record-breaking success back home in the US. ...

Destroyer: New Band of the Week: Destroyer

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 1 April 2011

Rescuing qualities such as "good playing" from critical hell, Dan Bejar's band serve up a feast of unironic '80s fetishism. ...

Black Eyed Peas, Taio Cruz: Never Mind The Balearics: The Ibiza-ification Of Pop

Comment by Simon Reynolds, The Guardian, 14 April 2011

From Black Eyed Peas to Taio Cruz, much recent pop looks to Ibiza for inspiration. And yet for all the hands-in-the-air moments, this music is ...

Adele: Academy, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 15 April 2011

EVEN IF Adele Adkins's record-breaking 11 weeks at the top of the album chart ends on Sunday – and it looks like the Foo Fighters ...

David Bowie, Kraftwerk: Taxi zum Klo's Berlin is a sexual playground

Retrospective by Jon Savage, The Guardian, 21 April 2011

Bowie, Christiane F and Taxi zum Klo: these are the things that made Berlin so alluring to the British pop culture of the late '70s ...

R Kelly: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 25 April 2011

IT HAS been more than a decade since R Kelly, the self-proclaimed King of R&B, last passed through London – time enough for his original ...

Chipmunk: Proud, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 26 April 2011

THE SUPPOSEDLY marginal, insular London grime scene keeps throwing up mainstream pop stars. In the wake of Dizzee Rascal and Tinie Tempah, 20-year-old Tottenham rapper ...

Katy B: O2 Academy, Oxford

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 1 May 2011

IT'S NOT HARD TO GUESS that Katy B, for all her success in taking her personable version of UK funky into the Top 10, isn't ...

Nirvana: Krist Novoselic and the beatification of Nirvana

Report and Interview by Keith Cameron, The Guardian, 5 May 2011

Once the enfants terribles of the Seattle rock underground, Nirvana have now been exalted by the city elders. Bassist Krist Novoselic talks about becoming a ...

Steve Reich: Musicians, Composers and Artists pay tribute

Interview by Mike Barnes, The Guardian, 5 May 2011

STEVE REICH is a major influence on today's musicians, artists and film-makers. As the Barbican pays tribute, we ask some of them why – and ...

Wild Beasts: Sex-Obsessed and Scrupulously Polite

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 5 May 2011

ON A BALMY APRIL MORNING in east London, Hayden Thorpe is remembering the night last September when Wild Beasts failed to win the Mercury Prize ...

Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All: Tyler The Creator In The UK: Forget Hip-Hop, We're The New Sex Pistols!

Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 7 May 2011

Tyler the Creator touches down to talk goblins, chillwave and the trouble with saying stupid stuff ...

The Walker Brothers: John Walker, 1943-2011

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 9 May 2011

Singer with the Walker Brothers, one of the most popular bands of the 1960s ...

Friendly Fires: Heaven, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 10 May 2011

DESPITE A GOLD DEBUT album and Brit and Mercury nominations, Friendly Fires are still a long way from household-name status — something the St Albans ...

Snoop (Doggy) Dogg: Snoop Dogg: Forum, London

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 18 May 2011

LIKE LAW & ORDER stalwart Ice-T and Are We There Yet? star Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg is proof that one generation's corrupter of morals is ...

Cornell Dupree obituary

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 23 May 2011

FOR A TIME in the mid-1960s, the band of the great rhythm and blues tenor saxophonist King Curtis contained two guitarists. The first, Jimi Hendrix, ...

Laurel Halo: New band of the week: Laurel Halo

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 23 May 2011

This ambient artist cites the "asymptotic quantification of memory" among her influences. A Wire cover star is born ... ...

White Denim: Between Indie Rock and a Hard Place

Profile and Interview by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 26 May 2011

"WE'VE TALKED ABOUT starting another band and just writing really straightforward, boring pop songs," says White Denim bassist Steve Terebecki, sitting in a London bar. ...

Kaiser Chiefs... but Under Your Control

Profile and Interview by Pete Paphides, The Guardian, 3 June 2011

Burned by past leaks, Kaiser Chiefs release their new album today after exactly zero buildup – and it might well be the world's first bespoke ...

Civil Wars, the: New band of the week: The Civil Wars

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 3 June 2011

We have Adele to thank for introducing us to this Americana duo, whose songs deal with affairs of the heart and lives lived hard ...

Hank Ballard and the Midnighters, Chubby Checker, Joey Dee & the Starliters: Let's Twist again

Retrospective by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 4 June 2011

Fifty years ago, a new dance craze swept the world and changed for ever the way people move. Richard Williams, up on his feet when it ...

Bon Iver: "I'm really confused right now"

Profile and Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 9 June 2011

Bon Iver's first album brought Justin Vernon success beyond his comprehension. With his hugely anticipated second album out soon, Laura Barton asks – can he ...

Ladytron: Forum, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 9 June 2011

NAMED AFTER A ROXY MUSIC SONG and enthusiastically endorsed by Brian Eno, Ladytron's art-rock credentials are impeccable. However, 12 years into their career, and with ...

The Coasters: Carl Gardner, 1928-2011

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 13 June 2011

Singer and founding member of the R&B hitmakers the Coasters. ...

DJ Kool Herc DJs his first block party

Retrospective and Interview by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 13 June 2011

DJ Kool Herc DJs his first block party (his sister's birthday) on 13 August 1973 at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, Bronx, New York ...

Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, Grand Wizard Theodore: Grand Wizard Theodore accidentally invents scratching in 1975 (or does he?)

Retrospective by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 13 June 2011

AMONG hip-hop's canonical creation myths, few are as perfectly formed as Grand Wizard Theodore's invention of scratching. ...

Arctic Monkeys Make The Fastest-selling Debut Ever

Report by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 14 June 2011

23 January 2006: Number 48 in our series of the 50 key events in the history of indie music ...

Bad Brains, Minor Threat: Ian Mackaye meets Bad Brains and invents hardcore

Retrospective by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 14 June 2011

NO MERE THREE-CHORD punk dullards, Washington DC's Bad Brains had chops to spare. They'd started as jazz-fusion quintet Mind Power, worshipping at the altar of ...

Fleet Foxes: How Fleet Foxes are handling high expectations

Profile and Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 16 June 2011

Huge success began a steep learning curve for the Seattle band. Bandleader Robin Pecknold explains how the second album put the band in a "dark ...

The Horrors: Academy 3, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 18 June 2011

THE HORRORS are true pop chameleons. ...

Hip-Hop and Festivals: An Awkward Relationship

Comment by Ben Myers, The Guardian, 23 June 2011

When they get it right, rappers can rival stadium rock acts. But a mere gust of wind can expose how few MCs can hack festivals ...

Kings of Leon: Hyde Park, London

Live Review by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 23 June 2011

IT HAD BEEN pouring with rain all day, but by the time Kings of Leon came on stage, the dark clouds had gone – they ...

Prince: "I'm a musician. And I am music"

Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 23 June 2011

RINGTONES ARE EVIL. Islamic countries are fun. The internet is like "a carjacking", where there are no boundaries. Prince on being pop's "loving tyrant" ...

The Byrds, David Crosby, Chris Hillman: Jim Dickson, 1931-2011

Obituary by Rob Hughes, The Guardian, 27 June 2011

Producer and manager behind the Byrds ...

Toto: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 28 June 2011

LAST YEAR saw veteran American soft-rockers Journey enjoy an Indian summer with their 1980 hit 'Don't Stop Believin''. A full three decades after its initial ...

Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat: Bill Wells: "I've more in common with indie"

Report and Interview by Mike Barnes, The Guardian, 30 June 2011

Snubbed by Scotland's jazz scene, guitar virtuoso Bill Wells has teamed up with ex-Arab Strap man Aidan Moffat for a panoramic meditation on life and ...

Mowest, Mo' Problems: The Glorious Failure Of Motown's Californian Outpost

Profile by Graeme Thomson, The Guardian, 30 June 2011

In 1971 Motown set up a Californian arm, Mowest. As a new compilation shows, it put out some terrific music, but it was a commercial ...

OK Go: Koko, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 30 June 2011

IT SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE that OK Go shows are studiedly eccentric affairs. The US band's emergence in 2006 was fuelled not by their music but by ...

The Great Rock'n'Roll Sellout

Report by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 30 June 2011

Gone are the days when bands would be scorned for getting into bed with corporate sponsors and brands, so what ever happened to "selling out"? ...

Björk: Is Björk the last great pop innovator?

Comment by Simon Reynolds, The Guardian, 4 July 2011

EARLIER THIS YEAR I interviewed Amanda Brown of cult band LA Vampires and was surprised when she announced that "every day I wake up and ...

Andrew Gold, 1951–2011

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 6 July 2011

Singer-songwriter famed for the 1970s chart hit 'Lonely Boy' ...

New Order: Joyless divisions: The end of New Order

Report and Interview by Rob Fitzpatrick, The Guardian, 14 July 2011

Brought together to promote a new best-of compilation, Peter Hook and his bandmates can barely bring themselves to speak to each other. They reveal where ...

Hurts: Somerset House, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 15 July 2011

MANCHESTER ELECTRO-DUO Hurts are so in thrall to new-romantic stylishness that one review of last year's debut album, Happiness, suggested that even their gigs were ...

Amy Winehouse

Obituary by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 23 July 2011

Singer with a soul-steeped voice whose instantly successful Back to Black album reflected her tormented experience of love ...

Justin Townes Earle: Boogaloo, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 29 July 2011

JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE has some serious musical heritage to live up to. The 29-year-old singer-songwriter is not only the son of multi-Grammy-winning US country singer, ...

Gene McDaniels obituary

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 15 August 2011

GENE MCDANIELS, the American singer and songwriter, who has died aged 76, began and ended his career as the smoothest of vocal stylists. His hits ...

Ashford & Simpson: Nick Ashford, 1941-2011

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 23 August 2011

Singer and songwriter who had a string of hits with his wife, Valerie Simpson, during Motown's heyday. ...

Kurt Cobain, Nirvana: Ten Myths About Grunge, Nirvana and Kurt Cobain

Guide by Everett True, The Guardian, 24 August 2011

KURT COBAIN loved Abba, wasn't from Seattle and didn't invent grunge. Everett True, the man who pushed the singer's wheelchair on stage for his last ...

Crowded House, Pajama Club: Pajama Club: No more Crowded House

Interview by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 25 August 2011

Once their children had left home, Crowded House songwriter Neil Finn and his wife found themselves with too much time on their hands — and ...

David "Honeyboy" Edwards, 1915-2011

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 30 August 2011

Blues singer and guitarist with an enthralling style, he played with Robert Johnson. ...

Honeyboy Edwards: David Honeyboy Edwards: obituary

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 30 August 2011

Blues singer and guitarist with an enthralling style, he played with Robert Johnson. ...

King Creosote and Jon Hopkins: Diamond Geezers: King Creosote and Jon Hopkins

Report and Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 30 August 2011

POP IS FULL of odd couples, but this year's Mercury prize shortlist contains a particularly compelling one. Jon Hopkins, 31, is baby-faced and fashionably dressed, the image ...

Laura Marling: "I've got the confidence now"

Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 1 September 2011

AT JUST 21, folk star Laura Marling is already three albums into a career built on furious talent and untempered ambition. She talks to Laura ...

Beirut: Academy, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 7 September 2011

"THIS IS ANOTHER ONE of those, er, singalongs," says Beirut's Zach Condon, sounding slightly embarrassed by what's going on around him. Once again, the cavernous ...

August Darnell, Kid Creole & The Coconuts: Kid Creole: "I'm not a party man anymore"

Retrospective and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 7 September 2011

He was a zoot-suited wise guy who crooned out hit after hit. Now Kid Creole is back. Paul Lester meets the man who blew a ...

Ultrasound: The reformation of Ultrasound: "In an instant, it felt necessary"

Profile and Interview by Martin Aston, The Guardian, 8 September 2011

Say what you like about the second coming of Ultrasound – this is one reformation that isn't driven by money. ...

The Dixie Cups, Jean Knight, Leiber and Stoller, The Neville Brothers, Robert Parker, Robbie Robertson: Wardell Quezergue, 1930-2011

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 14 September 2011

Distinguished and subtle New Orleans arranger and musician ...

Craig Douglas, Nic Jones, Cliff Richard: Copyright extension: good for Cliff and the Beatles, bad for the little guys?

Report by Bob Stanley, The Guardian, 15 September 2011

The extension in copyright law is hailed as a victory for musicians. But while it will surely benefit Cliff, the Beatles et al, it will ...

Shin Joong-hyun: South Korea's psychedelic mimic turned master

Retrospective and Interview by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 15 September 2011

He learned American pop via a hand-built radio, became a psychedelic pop star in his own right, then was tortured by South Korea's dictatorship. Meet ...

Childish Gambino: New band of the week — Childish Gambino

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 30 September 2011

As comedians dabbling in rap go, Donald Glover has lot more going on than Will Smith. ...

Tony Bennett: Palladium, London *****

Live Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 4 October 2011

THIS IS HOW to do it. At 85, Tony Bennett scampers on to the Palladium stage in a perfectly pressed suit, a folded red hankie ...

Bert Jansch: A Modest Man with an Immodest Talent

Obituary by Pete Paphides, The Guardian, 6 October 2011

"REMEMBER ASKING Bert, 'When you were doing it, did you know that you were like … heavy? Heavier than all those bands that were heavy? ...

Frankie Knuckles: The House That Frankie Knuckles Built

Profile and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 13 October 2011

Frankie Knuckles is back, minus a foot but loaded with plaudits including a street named after him in Chicago ...

Other Lives: The Prairie Stories of Other Lives

Profile and Interview by Martin Aston, The Guardian, 13 October 2011

Inspired by the landscape of their native Oklahoma, Other Lives combine their rustic rock with classical minimalism. Martin Aston meets a band without limits. ...

Lou Reed, Metallica: "It has so much rage": Metallica And Lou Reed Talk About Their New Album

Interview by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 20 October 2011

It's a collaboration that has prompted much head-scratching, but Lou Reed and Metallica tell Edward Helmore that teaming up to make their new album was a ...

Pete Rugolo, 1915-2011

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 21 October 2011

Controversial jazz composer and arranger best known for his work with Stan Kenton ...

The Stone Roses' reunion: What's the worst that can happen?

Comment by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 22 October 2011

The Stone Roses are the latest in a long line of bands to get back together. Shameless profiteering? Or the chance to heal old rifts ...

Barry Feinstein 1931-2011

Obituary by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 24 October 2011

THE AMERICAN photographer Barry Feinstein, who has died aged 80, made his most famous series of images when he accompanied Bob Dylan and the Band ...

Lady Leshurr — New artist of the week

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 24 October 2011

Birmingham MC Melesha O Garro is making a creditable crack at being a homegrown Nicki Minaj or Missy Elliott. ...

Florence and the Machine: Hackney Empire, London ****

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 26 October 2011

PARENTS WHO worry that their teenage daughters have few pop role models other than the intemperately sexual Rihannas of the world should be pleased that ...

My Morning Jacket: "We had to work it out ourselves"

Interview by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 27 October 2011

THEY STARTED out in a barn in Kentucky, and became one of rock's great cult success stories. My Morning Jacket's Jim James talks to Stevie Chick ...

Ryan Adams: Union Chapel, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 2 November 2011

WHAT DOES A HELLRAISER DO when he reaches 37 and finds little hell left to raise? For Ryan Adams, whose unpredictability has kept fans enthralled ...

Foxes: New Band Of The Week — Foxes

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 4 November 2011

Does the world really need another big-voiced belter of witchy gothisms? Foxes doesn't make a wholly convincing case it does. ...

Cabaret Voltaire, Richard H. Kirk: Warp Records: Richard H Kirk looks back on a futuristic life

Report and Interview by David Stubbs, The Guardian, 5 November 2011

RICHARD H KIRK spent much of his career waiting for the future. He remains a resident of Sheffield, a city with a rich tradition in ...

Heavy D. & the Boyz: Heavy D: obituary

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 9 November 2011

THE RAPPER HEAVY D, who has died suddenly aged 44, after collapsing at his home, was among a handful of hip-hop stars from the 1980s ...

R.E.M.: "There's a good chance we'll never play together again"

Interview by Pete Paphides, The Guardian, 10 November 2011

After 31 years, R.E.M. are no more, after an amicable, mutual decision to split. But is it really what they all wanted? And is it ...

Lianne La Havas: Nation of Shopkeepers, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 16 November 2011

THE LATEST ARTIST to appear on Later With Jools Holland before releasing a note, Lianne La Havas is a Paloma Faith backing singer turned major ...

Lana Del Rey: Scala, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 17 November 2011

LANA DEL REY may become the most recognised stage name since fellow New Yorker Lady Gaga, but it's just as possible it will end up ...

Pat Boone, Tim Buckley, David Gray, King Creosote, This Mortal Coil: 'Song to the Siren''s irresistible tang

Retrospective by Martin Aston, The Guardian, 17 November 2011

Its writer refused to record it. Pat Boone almost killed it. Then it was resurrected as a B-side to an indie prestige project. Martin Aston on how ...

The Rolling Stones: Why a Rolling Stones bootleg is one of my albums of the year

Comment by John Harris, The Guardian, 22 November 2011

Their recent reissues might be rubbish, but 1973 bootleg Brussels Affair shows the Stones at their onstage peak. ...

Andrew Bird's sonic arboretum reminds me of the natural music we are losing

Report and Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 24 November 2011

IN CHICAGO'S MUSEUM of Contemporary Art this December, there will sprout up a peculiar kind of forest: 50 horned speakers, each standing between 19 and ...

Those Darlins: New Band Of The Week — Those Darlins

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 28 November 2011

ONCE HEAVY on the hillbilly, these southern girls have ditched yee-haws and ukuleles to be a power-pop proposition. ...

Jill Scott: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 1 December 2011

"I HAD AN album out this year," Jill Scott informs a chokingly full Brixton Academy. The congratulatory bellows have hardly faded before she tartly adds: ...

The Black Keys "We've put in more hours than anyone"

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 1 December 2011

THE BLACK KEYS' singer/guitarist, Dan Auerbach, surveys his surroundings — a five-star hotel in one of the more salubrious parts of London — and seems ...

Howlin' Wolf, Hubert Sumlin: Hubert Sumlin, 1931-2011

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 5 December 2011

Revered blues guitarist who combined musically with Howlin' Wolf "like gasoline and a lit match" ...

Dobie Gray, 1940-2011

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 11 December 2011

American singer and songwriter held in special affection by Northern Soul fans ...

Billie Jo Spears, 1937-2011

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 15 December 2011

Country singer whose biggest hit was 'Blanket on the Ground' ...

Rizzle Kicks: Scala, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 16 December 2011

RIZZLE KICKS'S MUSIC is not a place to search for hidden depths. The Brighton duo of Jordan "Rizzle" Stephens and Harley "Sylvester" Alexander-Sule went top ...

Simply Red: Here's to Mick Hucknall's amazing voice

Memoir by John Harris, The Guardian, 21 December 2011

Admitting I liked Simply Red didn't fit with the NME's Maoist indie conspiracy, but Hucknall's repertoire is studded with triumphs ...

Azealia Banks, Kreayshawn, Lady Leshurr, Reema Major, Dominique Young Unique: Azealia Banks and the charge of the women MCs

Report and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 5 January 2012

Watch out, Nicki Minaj, there's a host of feisty, eccentric female rappers on your trail – and not all of them are here to pay their ...

Guided By Voices: Don't give up the day job

Retrospective and Interview by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 5 January 2012

Riven by addictions and family problems, Guided By Voices' late blooming was a double-edged sword. So why, after 15 years, has the classic lineup reunited? ...

One Direction: Hammersmith Apollo, London ***

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 10 January 2012

"SCREW BIEBER FEVER," tweeted a fan on the afternoon of this boy band's first London headline gig, "I've got a One Direction infection." ...

Ani DiFranco: Union Chapel, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 11 January 2012

MARRIAGE AND MOTHERHOOD have impacted on Ani DiFranco's productivity. Having released 18 albums in as many years, the prodigiously driven and prolific US singer-songwriter has ...

Plaid: Koko, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 15 January 2012

IT'S 2AM on Sunday morning in this club night, but Plaid are here to move minds, not feet. ...

Indie Rock's Slow and Painful Death

Report by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 16 January 2012

Sales figures suggest alternative rock is in a dismal place right now. Will it ever recover? And should we care? ...

Enter Shikari: Borderline, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 17 January 2012

IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE a less appealing musical template than sixth-form politics and bludgeoning metal riffs welded to cack-handed Skrillex-style electronic beats. It is therefore ...

The Smiths: How we made: Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce on the Smiths' first gig

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 23 January 2012

Andy Rourke, bass ...

Gym Class Heroes, Stooshe: Koko, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 31 January 2012

THE ONLY GIRL BAND tipped in the BBC Sound of 2012 poll, Stooshe have been excitably described as "Salt-n-Pepa meet Odd Future". But the comparison ...

Beth Jeans Houghton: Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 2 February 2012

IT'S NO surprise to learn that Beth Jeans Houghton has synesthesia, a condition that causes her to "taste" colours (red is just like Safeway crisps, ...

Snow Patrol: The O2, London ***

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 February 2012

WHEN SNOW PATROL released Fallen Empires, the 2011 album that comprises a substantial part of this gig, singer Gary Lightbody revealed that the new record ...

Whitney Houston

Obituary by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 February 2012

Superstar singer credited as the first 'pop diva', whose compelling talent was lost to drug addiction ...

Labrinth: Jazz Cafe, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 15 February 2012

POP STARS become producers, but producers rarely become pop stars. Mark Ronson, for one, has unintentionally demonstrated the pitfalls awaiting studio wizards who step from ...

Perfume Genius: "I've learned not to trust myself"

Profile and Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 16 February 2012

Porn footage and his mum were two of the inspirations for songs on Mike Hadreas's second album, which, yes, features the same themes of lurid ...

Greil Marcus: A Life In Writing

Profile and Interview by Simon Reynolds, The Guardian, 17 February 2012

GREIL MARCUS lives in a newly built, cedar-shingled house on the border between Oakland and Berkeley. ...

Simple Minds: "Maybe we shouldn't have cashed in…"

Retrospective and Interview by Graeme Thomson, The Guardian, 23 February 2012

A COUPLE OF YEARS ago a young, anonymous musician approached Jim Kerr in a Glasgow rehearsal studio and began humorously haranguing him. "He was like, ...

Django Django: XOYO, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 28 February 2012

THE WORD OF MOUTH about Django Django is growing deafening. As the London-via-Edinburgh quartet head towards the end of their first UK tour, the venue ...

Marina and the Diamonds: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 28 February 2012

MARINA "AND THE DIAMONDS" DIAMANDIS is about to release the follow-up to 2010's top-five debut album The Family Jewels, but there's something so exuberantly off-kilter ...

Davy Jones, The Monkees: Davy Jones, 1945-2012

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 29 February 2012

Former child actor who became a star with the '60s pop group the Monkees. ...

Sinéad O'Connor: "I define success differently"

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 1 March 2012

From her public search for a husband to attempted suicide and hospitalisation, the Irish singer has had a turbulent year even by her own standards. ...

The Cribs: ULU, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 1 March 2012

THEIR ONE-ALBUM ALLIANCE with Johnny Marr ended last year, but if the Jarman brothers from Wakefield, who comprise the Cribs, never repeat the Top 10 ...

Sade: Why Sade is bigger in the US than Adele

Profile by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 13 March 2012

BRITAIN MAY have all but forgotten her, but 80s popstar Sade is a huge star in the US since her 2010 comeback. So what's the ...

HAIM: New Band of the Week: HAIM

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 23 March 2012

A band featuring three sisters, who combine the wafty whimsy of folk with R&B beats. It shouldn't really work. It does  ...

JLS: O2, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 25 March 2012

WHO COULD HAVE predicted not one but two X Factor boybands would exceed their allotted 15 minutes? The onus is now on JLS to out-dazzle ...

Earl Scruggs, 1924-2012

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 29 March 2012

Banjo player with a breathtaking style who shaped bluegrass and explored other genres ...

Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend: Jim Marshall, 1923-2012

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 5 April 2012

The "Father of Loud", he gave his name to the world-famous, ubiquitous amplifier. ...

Steps: Arena, Liverpool

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 5 April 2012

A DECADE AFTER the acrimonious split documented in last year's Steps Reunion TV series — which painted the group as living a budget version of Fleetwood ...

Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd: Alabama Shakes: The Saga of Southern Rock

Comment by Barney Hoskyns, The Guardian, 6 April 2012

IT WAS ONLY a matter of time before BBC4 green-lit a Friday night documentary about the sub-genre Southern Rock. The subject is irresistible to connoisseurs ...

Cher Lloyd: Indigo2, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 10 April 2012

EVEN ON HER FIRST HEADLINING TOUR, Cher Lloyd isn't constrained by lack of confidence: she wants nothing less than for fans to feel that "this is ...

Ronika: Old Blue Last, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 11 April 2012

"THE MADONNA OF THE MIDLANDS", as Nottingham singer/producer Ronika Sampson has been unenviably labelled, is having an intriguing effect on a quartet of young women ...

Martina Topley-Bird, Tricky: Tricky

Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 18 April 2012

Seventeen years ago, Maxinquaye made Tricky an unlikely pop star, and made him angry and unhappy. Now, though, he and Martina Topley-Bird are ready to ...

Hall Of Mirrors: New Band Of The Week — Hall of Mirrors

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 20 April 2012

BOASTING A MAGICAL retro-60s sound, Jessica Winter's pretty nightmares are enchanting. Think Julie Andrews in hell. ...

Bow Wow Wow: Islington Academy, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 1 May 2012

THE SEX PISTOLS were not Malcolm McLaren's only situationist prank. After the demise of the Pistols, McLaren managed an early incarnation of Adam & the Ants; he then ...

Gaz Coombes: I should Camus

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 6 May 2012

Gaz Coombes, once the cheeky, cheery Supergrass frontman, now reads French authors and writes brooding songs about bombs. ...

Grimes: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 9 May 2012

"I'VE GOT NO VOCALS," begins Grimes, aka 24-year-old Montreal-based artist Claire Boucher. It turns out she isn't plugged in, but the gig's beginning is only ...

Happy Mondays: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 May 2012

IF YOU DISCOUNT HIS PROPENSITY for using the f-word, you could call Shaun Ryder a solid citizen these days. The Happy Mondays' leader is slim, ...

Palma Violets: New band of the week — Palma Violets

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 17 May 2012

GROUNDED IN GARAGE ROCK and psych, Palma Violets struggle to achieve the epic and intense — but they'll still be hailed as heroes. ...

Jay Z, Kanye West: Jay-Z and Kanye West: O2 Arena, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 20 May 2012

JAY-Z AND Kanye West are hip-hop's current two main players, and they are pathologically keen to celebrate the fact. ...

Alt-J: New Band of the Day: Alt-J

Report by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 24 May 2012

This Cambridge four-piece not only write clever music and boast more references than a jobs agency, they've also set tongues wagging with their rapturously received ...

Rumer: St James's Church, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 25 May 2012

"I SPOKE TO PF SLOAN himself on the phone the other night, and he said, 'I'm praying for you.'" It's three songs into Rumer's set, ...

Beach House: Village Underground, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 27 May 2012

THE EARLY 1990S SHOEGAZE SCENE is not widely regarded as British music's finest moment. Peopled by bands such as Lush and Slowdive — who crafted ...

Doc Watson, 1923-2012

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 30 May 2012

FOR ALMOST 50 YEARS, Doc Watson, who has died aged 89, was the most illustrious name in traditional American folk music. A superb, original guitarist ...

A$AP Rocky: Electric Ballroom, London

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 7 June 2012

"I WANT EVERYONE TO GET THEIR MONEY'S WORTH," says A$AP Rocky, the self-described "pretty motherfucker from Harlem". "I want someone to leave here passed out." ...

Lee Ranaldo: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 10 June 2012

THE APPARENT END of Sonic Youth has produced the unlikely emergence of the band's co-founder as a sweetly tuneful rocker. After 30 years crafting walls ...

The Stone Roses: Hultsfred festival, Sweden

Live Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 15 June 2012

SO THIS is the Third Coming. Their first was at the much-mythologised tail-end of the 80s, when indie and dance music swaggered together, and the ...

Van Dyke Parks: Return of a Musical Maverick

Profile by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 15 June 2012

AS THE SMALL, white-haired, bespectacled man in a sleeveless cardigan took his seat a few rows from the front of the stalls in London's Royal ...

Chic, Friendly Fires, Grace Jones, Kelis, Lana Del Rey, Stooshe: Kelis, Grace Jones, Lana Del Rey, Chic, Friendly Fires et al: Lovebox Festival, Victoria Park, London

Live Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 18 June 2012

...

Alt-J: Borderline, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 20 June 2012

ONE OF POP'S great delights is its unpredictability: a month ago, who could have foreseen an unknown Cambridge art-rock quartet landing in the top 20 ...

The Stone Roses: Why I won't be going to see the Stone Roses

Comment by John Harris, The Guardian, 23 June 2012

Since their magical peak in 1990, the band has delivered only disappointment and disaster. So is their latest reunion a chance for them to finally ...

Chvrches: New band of the week: Chvrches

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 26 June 2012

With their super-heavy brand of "Neon Gold pop", we have nothing but praise for this Scottish indie group. ...

Nic Jones: What the folk! Nic Jones is back

Retrospective and Interview by Colin Irwin, The Guardian, 28 June 2012

Thirty years after the car crash that almost killed him, folk hero Nic Jones is returning to the stage. He talks about his rebuilt body ...

M. Ward: Koko, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 4 July 2012

MATTHEW WARD is set to bid farewell to his cult status. After a decade spent forging a solo career in the cosy backwater of the ...

Robert Ellis: New band of the week: Robert Ellis

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 4 July 2012

Gram Parsons is long dead, but those with a taste for LA country might sense the return of the Grievous Angel in this singer ...

Roxette: Manchester Arena

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 5 July 2012

FORMED IN 1986, the Swedish duo Roxette were one of the biggest pop phenomena of the 1980s and 1990s. In 2012, the vast arena isn't ...

Kitty Wells, 1919-2012

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 17 July 2012

The "Queen of Country Music" in the post-war era, she had her first hit with 'It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels'. ...

Dennis Coffey, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Del Shannon, Edwin Starr, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder: Bob Babbitt, 1937-2012

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 18 July 2012

One of the last surviving members of the Funk Brothers, the backbone of Tamla Motown ...

Damian Marley: 30 minutes with … Damian Marley

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 19 July 2012

THE REGGAE STAR on the bittersweet pleasure of watching footage of his father, why people have started calling him "Gong Zilla", and how Jamaica has ...

Plan B: 100 Club, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 31 July 2012

PLAN B'S THIRD album, Ill Manors, went straight into the album chart at No. 1 this week, despite being a spectacular musical contrast to the ...

Deadmau5, Skrillex: EDM: How Rave Music Conquered America

Profile by Simon Reynolds, The Guardian, 2 August 2012

After 20 years, electronic dance music has made it big in the US. And big means big. With Las Vegas's Electric Daisy Carnival grossing $40m, ...

Dinosaur Jr.: J Mascis: "I never took it that seriously"

Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 3 August 2012

The godfather of grunge on being rock's least loquacious talker, the merits of free dental care, and whether his band Dinosaur Jr were the Chuck ...

Kendrick Lamar: New band of the week: Kendrick Lamar

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 3 August 2012

Independent, idiosyncratic 25-year-old rapper from Compton who's been making waves in hip-hop circles and has just cooked up a recipe for the big-time ...

MF DOOM: Doom: "It's all new, all fun"

Profile and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 16 August 2012

Rapper (MF) DOOM is back in London, the city where he was born, with Key to the Kuffs, an album that references rhyming slang and ...

Mick Jagger: Christopher Andersen: Mick – The Wild Life and Mad Genius of Jagger

Book Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 17 August 2012

Christopher Andersen's biography of Mick Jagger is little more than an anthology of juicy gossip. ...

The Lumineers: New Band Of The Week — The Lumineers

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 17 August 2012

With a cornucopia of campfire singalongs, this Colorado crew are poised to paint the world sepia with their rousing, rustic folk. ...

Amanda Palmer: "Thank God my best friend's a therapist"

Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 19 August 2012

She lets fans scrawl on her naked body and she crowd-funded her new LP to the tune of a record-breaking $1.2m. Is Amanda Palmer the ...

Razorlight: Myrtle Park, Bingley

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 2 September 2012

IN THE DAYS when Razorlight's Johnny Borrell happily compared himself to Bob Dylan and Charles Dickens, he would not have expected to rock up at ...

Bonnie Guitar, Jean Shepard, Kitty Wells: Honky-tonk women: the female artists who made it big in country music

Report and Interview by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 6 September 2012

It's not easy for women to survive in the macho world of country. Some of those who did, such as Jean Shepard and Bonnie Guitar, ...

Joe South, 1940-2012

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 12 September 2012

American singer and songwriter best known for 'Games People Play' ...

Joy Division: Peter Hook: Unknown Pleasures – Inside Joy Division

Book Review by Andy Beckett, The Guardian, 19 September 2012

Andy Beckett on a raw, surprising account of the classic post-punk band ...

Carly Rae Jepsen: Kiss (Polydor) **

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 20 September 2012

THIS Canadian Idol runner-up's super-hit 'Call Me Maybe' — the UK's second-biggest single of 2012 — was a polarising experience. ...

Biffy Clyro: Roundhouse, London

Live Review by Kate Mossman, The Guardian, 24 September 2012

TWO SONGS down and there's a fight on — a small whirlpool of boys in the crowd headbutting each other's sternums. As they fall into ...

Mumford & Sons: Mumford and Sons: Roundhouse, London

Live Review by Kate Mossman, The Guardian, 25 September 2012

MARCUS MUMFORD is likely to be found starving, bleeding, dying, sighing, fading, sinning, hopeless, "in the dark" or — as the new song 'Broken Crown' ...

Andy Williams

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 26 September 2012

Popular crooner who sold more than 100m albums in a career that spanned eight decades ...

Ultravox: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 28 September 2012

REFORMED BANDS almost always find it nigh-on impossible to recapture the musical glories they routinely summoned up in their pomp. Ultravox may be a unique ...

Big Jim Sullivan, 1941-2012

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 3 October 2012

Session guitarist with more than 50 chart toppers to his name ...

Nickelback: Manchester Arena

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 7 October 2012

CANADIAN ROCKERS Nickelback aren't universally popular. Some 55,000 American football fans once signed a petition to attempt to stop them playing at half time. A ...

Cheryl Cole: O2 Arena, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 8 October 2012

A RECENT bit of rebranding has seen Cheryl Cole styling herself as just "Cheryl", the inference being that she's reached a level of fame where ...

Mika meets Dita Von Teese: "I've had to work hard to stay like this"

Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 11 October 2012

The flamboyant singer and the burlesque performer share their thoughts on fetishism, sexuality and pop as the ultimate masquerade. ...

Dirty Projectors: Gorilla, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 15 October 2012

WHEN ALICE COOPER recently accused today's rock stars of lacking testosterone and "playing from the brain", he could have had David Longstreth in mind. ...

Grizzly Bear: Academy, Manchester

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 19 October 2012

GRIZZLY BEAR DON'T HAVE LAVISH VIDEOS featuring big cars and girls, expensively produced songs about bling or even an easily recognisable frontman. However, none of ...

Chilly Gonzales: Barbican, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 21 October 2012

"HARMONY'S FRENCH, but the melancholy melody's so Slavic," raps Chilly Gonzales, words tumbling out in a Canadian-accented torrent. "Whether I rap fast or slow, the ...

Amanda Palmer & the Grand Theft Orchestra: Manchester Cathedral

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 25 October 2012

AMANDA PALMER IS NO STRANGER TO CONTROVERSY. The former Dresden Dolls singer writes songs about her experiences of date-rape and abortion. She somehow coaxed her growing ...

Matthew E. White: New band of the week

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 25 October 2012

So in thrall to the golden age of country-soul is White that you'll find yourself using the phrase "tasty licks" without irony. ...

Massive Attack: Blue Lines: Massive Attack's blueprint for UK pop's future

Retrospective by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 28 October 2012

In 1991, the laidback Bristol collective roused themselves to unleash their debut album. Reissued 21 years on it remains a landmark. Here, an early champion ...

Dead Can Dance: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 28 October 2012

IN THE LATE 1980S, effusive music journalists were in the habit of eulogising spectacularly ornate or baroque pieces of arthouse music — particularly on the 4AD ...

Terry Callier

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 30 October 2012

FROM HIS BEGINNINGS in jazz, folk and soul music onwards, the singer and guitarist Terry Callier, who has died aged 67 after suffering from throat ...

Civil Wars, the: The Civil Wars at Apollo, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 31 October 2012

On paper, the Civil Wars shouldn't work at all. Joy Williams is 29, brought up in California and grew up on blues and country. John ...

Robyn: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 2 November 2012

LENA DUNHAM KNEW WHAT SHE WAS DOING when she deployed Robyn Carlsson's peerless 'Dancing on My Own' during an emotionally conflicted sequence in Girls. Like ...

Gil Evans: Purple Hazer: The Many Lives of Gil Evans

Retrospective by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 7 November 2012

His cool, luminous sound redefined jazz. Then he threw it all in for Jimi Hendrix. Richard Williams on the brilliant and mercurial Gil Evans. ...

Bon Iver: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 9 November 2012

IT STARTED IN a log cabin and it has led to Wembley. When little-known singer-songwriter Justin Vernon retreated to his father's Wisconsin woodland hideaway late ...

David Byrne: How Music Works

Book Review by Michel Faber, The Guardian, 9 November 2012

GIVEN THE VASTNESS of the subject, calling a treatise How Music Works seems intellectually arrogant, but it could also be seen as disarmingly frank, a ...

Sixty years of the UK charts

Retrospective by Bob Stanley, The Guardian, 13 November 2012

Sixty years ago on Wednesday, the first singles chart was published in Britain – turning pop music into a competitive sport. Bob Stanley on how ...

Death Cab for Cutie, Benjamin Gibbard: Ben Gibbard: "We've got a superhero in Seattle. I'm not making this up"

Interview by Kate Mossman, The Guardian, 14 November 2012

HE'S RIDDEN A DEATH CAB, worked for the Postal Service and ventured into alt-country. Ben Gibbard picks the songs he's written that explain him best. ...

The Penguins: Cleve Duncan, 1935-2012

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 15 November 2012

Singer and founder member of the Penguins, noted for their hit 'Earth Angel' ...

10cc: "It was a tragedy we didn't stay together"

Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 20 November 2012

They made some of the cleverest and most inventive music of the 70s, but split up at the height of their success. 10cc come together ...

Bobby Womack: Forum, London

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 26 November 2012

YOU WAIT YEARS for a Bobby Womack show, and two turn up at once. Unfortunately, that is not as good as it sounds. The 68-year-old ...

Beth Orton: Memorial Hall, Sheffield

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 28 November 2012

"GOOD EVENING Shef-f-f-f-f-iel-d-d-d," begins Beth Orton, as an incorrectly set microphone makes her voice sound as if it has been remixed by King Tubby. Then ...

Mickey Baker, 1925-2012

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 2 December 2012

Versatile American guitarist who had a million-selling hit with 'Love Is Strange' ...

Elbow: O2 Arena, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 3 December 2012

ELBOW HAVE BEEN describing this end-of-year arena tour as their "farewell party", and the reason for their sabbatical is a curious one. Frontman Guy Garvey ...

Seal: Apollo, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 10 December 2012

"C'MON," says Seal, holding back the first verse of his signature tune 'Killer' until the audience is clapping from front row to back. Then he leaps ...

Public Service Broadcasting: New band of the week — Public Service Broadcasting

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 12 December 2012

This London duo put archive sounds to an electronic beat — think Pathé meets Pet Shop Boys. ...

Lady Antebellum: On This Winter's Night

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 December 2012

A CHRISTMAS ALBUM by America's unfathomably all-conquering Lady A? Why didn't they think of it before? In fact, they almost did — six of the 12 tracks ...

Drowners: New band of the week: Drowners

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 13 December 2012

Meet the New York punk-pop band named after a Suede single and fronted by a male model ...

ABC: Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 19 December 2012

ABC WERE ALWAYS a band with a manifesto. Three decades ago, the Sheffield group emerged equally in thrall to the debonair allure of Bryan Ferry ...

Kimbra: Vows

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 20 December 2012

NEW ZEALAND SONGWRITER Kimbra Johnson was the sinuous star turn on Gotye's 'Somebody That I Used to Know', and the exposure sent this solo debut into the ...

Pussy Riot: Activists, not Pin-ups

Comment by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 20 December 2012

Clever, committed and courageous, Pussy Riot are the only band that mattered in 2012. They have used their year in the spotlight to expose injustice. ...

Fontella Bass, 1940-2012

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 28 December 2012

Soul and gospel singer who had a top 10 hit with 'Rescue Me' ...

Jimmy McCracklin, 1921-2012

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 28 December 2012

Versatile blues singer and songwriter whose compositions included 'Tramp', recorded by Otis Redding and Carla Thomas. ...

Laura Mvula: Ones to watch in 2013: Laura Mvula

Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 31 December 2012

Her soulful vocals and florid soundscapes have helped this 26-year-old invent a new musical genre – gospeldelia ...

Ash: King's College, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 2013

ASH HAVE BEEN rock stars for 12 years and four albums, yet, as singer Tim Wheeler has noted, they're still younger than some of the ...

Patti Page, 1927-2013

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 3 January 2013

WITH RECORD sales estimated at more than 100m, which included more than a dozen million-selling singles, Patti Page, who has died aged 85, was one ...

Caravan: Queen Elizabeth Hall, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 10 January 2013

PUNK'S SCORCHED-EARTH policy towards the past has brought many a musical career to a premature halt. It's no coincidence that veteran progressive rockers Caravan originally ...

Johnny Marr, The Smiths: Johnny Marr on the Smiths, Morrissey and putting politics back in pop

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 11 January 2013

With the release of his first solo album The Messenger, the former Smiths guitarist talks about finally embracing his old sound, David Cameron and why ...

Graham Stewart: Bang! A History of Britain in the 1980s

Book Review by Andy Beckett, The Guardian, 17 January 2013

A study of Thatcher's era that leaves vital questions unanswered ...

Kendrick Lamar: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 21 January 2013

ON A snowy night in London, Compton seems as distant as Mars. Twenty-five years ago the Los Angeles suburb was the epicentre of a hip-hop ...

Frightened Rabbit: "We've gone back to brutal honesty"

Interview by Graeme Thomson, The Guardian, 24 January 2013

Scottish band Frightened Rabbit are a hit in the US, but little known in Britain. Can their new album, Pedestrian Verse, change that? ...

Matthew E. White: Lexington, London

Live Review by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 24 January 2013

"THIS ONE'S a groover," smiles a hirsute, check-shirted Matthew E White, looking like the Kings of Leon's friendly stoner cousin as he leads his five-piece ...

SOAK: One to watch: SOAK

Interview by Kate Mossman, The Guardian, 27 January 2013

The 16-year-old singer-songwriter from Derry SOAK aka Bridie Monds-Watson, releases her second EP in a year ...

Aimee Mann: Royal Festival Hall, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 29 January 2013

"WOW, THERE ARE people in here all of the way to the back!" marvels Aimee Mann two songs in, shielding her eyes to gaze deep ...

Parquet Courts: New band of the week: Parquet Courts

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 30 January 2013

This New York band are so New York it's not true — but they're more Brooklyn than Staten Island ...

Modestep: Evolution Theory (Max)

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 31 January 2013

IF PENDULUM rule the teen-rave market, Modestep seem destined to reel in their little brothers and sisters. ...

Cecil Womack, 1947-2013

Obituary by John Lewis, The Guardian, 5 February 2013

CECIL WOMACK, who has died aged 65, saw his role as one of R&B's backroom boys — a songwriter, producer, arranger and session singer for ...

The Troggs: Reg Presley, 1941-2013

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 5 February 2013

THE TROGGS WERE not among the most technically proficient of British pop groups of the 1960s, but they generated great affection among audiences and disc ...

The Troggs: Reg Presley, 1941-2013

Obituary by Alan Clayson, The Guardian, 6 February 2013

REG PRESLEY was the singer and principal songwriter of the Troggs, the group that put the Hampshire town of Andover on the pop map with ...

Hurts: Heaven, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 10 February 2013

ONE THING IN HURTS' FAVOUR is that they're no bandwagon-jumpers — here's one band who will never sully their glaciated synth-pop by lobbing in a ...

Frightened Rabbit: Concorde 2, Brighton

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 14 February 2013

UNTIL RECENTLY, Glasgow's Frightened Rabbit were best-known for being bigger in America than at home. ...

Woody Guthrie: House of Earth

Review by Michel Faber, The Guardian, 14 February 2013

Michel Faber asks if this explicit novel of poverty and sex is any more than a historic curio. ...

Kevin Ayers, 1944-2013

Obituary by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 20 February 2013

Founder member of Soft Machine and a key figure in British psychedelic rock. ...

Girls Aloud: Arena, Newcastle

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 22 February 2013

A DECADE AGO, when reality TV show Popstars: The Rivals pitted Girls Aloud against favourites One True Voice, you wouldn't have put money on the ...

Magic Slim, 1937-2013

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 24 February 2013

Singer and guitarist considered an icon of Chicago blues ...

One Direction: O2, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 24 February 2013

IF SIMON COWELL is in the house tonight as One Direction start their first UK arena tour, he might have to conclude that his earthly ...

Hurts: Exile

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 7 March 2013

AS ADAM ANT ONCE SAID, ridicule is nothing to be scared of — words Hurts should take to heart, as their second album will provoke ...

David Bowie: When Bowie met Burroughs

Retrospective by Jon Savage, The Guardian, 9 March 2013

ON 28 FEBRUARY 1974, Rolling Stone magazine published a remarkable encounter between David Bowie and William Burroughs. Entitled "Beat Godfather Meets Glitter Mainman", the event had been hosted ...

The Kills: Alison Mosshart: "I listened to love songs for 24 hours straight yesterday"

Interview by Kate Mossman, The Guardian, 10 March 2013

SOME MUSICIANS wear their commitment to rock'n'roll like a series of battle scars. Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme has the place and time ...

Adamski, Seal: Seal and Adamski: How we made 'Killer'

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 11 March 2013

The singer and producer recall the acid house anthem that took them from illegal raves to stardom and a No 1 hit. ...

John Grant: Heaven, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 14 March 2013

IT'S FAIR TO say John Grant takes the art of the confessional singer-songwriter to a whole new plane. Despite obviously being painfully thin-skinned, this quixotic ...

The Magnolia Electric Co., Songs: Ohia: Jason Molina, 1973-2013

Obituary by Everett True, The Guardian, 19 March 2013

US singer-songwriter who combined rock with alt-country as Songs: Ohia and Magnolia Electric Co. ...

John Fullbright: New band of the week: John Fullbright

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 24 March 2013

NEW AMERICANA singer-songwriter from Woody Guthrie-land winning converts including the great Jimmy Webb. ...

Iggy Azalea: One to watch: Iggy Azalea

Report and Interview by Kate Mossman, The Guardian, 24 March 2013

IGGY AZALEA has a highly developed sense of the absurd. She saw paparazzi outside her hotel this morning and felt obliged to put on dark ...

Billy Bragg: Barking's Woody Guthrie on 30 years of songs and activism

Interview by John Harris, The Guardian, 26 March 2013

From agitpop to love songs, Bragg has brought his audience through life with him, creating a soundtrack to thousands of lives ...

Bring Me the Horizon: Cockpit, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 3 April 2013

"'OW THE FUCK ARE WE FEELING, LEEDS?" asks Oli Sykes, frontman of Bring Me the Horizon, to roars of approval. His Sheffield quintet are leading ...

Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones: Andy Johns, 1950-2013

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 9 April 2013

Consummate sound engineer who worked with some of rock's greats ...

(British) Sea Power: British Sea Power: Metropolitan University, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 11 April 2013

TEN YEARS AFTER THEIR DEBUT, The Decline of British Sea Power, the Brighton-based oddballs remain one of the most quixotic, enigmatic presences in British pop, ...

Phoenix: Bankrupt!

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 18 April 2013

BANKRUPT?  ...

Lady Leshurr: Lady Lesshur: "The industry just doesn't know what to do with women"

Interview by Kate Mossman, The Guardian, 20 April 2013

The Midlands-born MC on morals, inspiration and why the UK needs a female rap star ...

Chvrches: Village Underground, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 1 May 2013

SEEING CHVRCHES (pronounced "churches") live is akin to discovering a 1980s edition of Top of the Pops, in which Clare Grogan of Altered Images has teamed ...

John Murry: Bush Hall, London

Live Review by Kate Mossman, The Guardian, 9 May 2013

HIS HOUSE BURNED DOWN, he famously "died" for a few minutes and he already owns his own burial plot: tonight the sticky vinyl letters "Tim" ...

Van Dyke Parks: "I was victimised by Brian Wilson's buffoonery"

Retrospective and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 9 May 2013

He co-wrote the Beach Boys' Smile and now works with everyone from Rufus Wainwright to Skrillex. But don't dare to call him quirky, says Van ...

The Knife: Roundhouse, London

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 10 May 2013

IF THE KNIFE'S CURRENT MISSION, advertised in the title of the Swedish duo's new album Shaking the Habitual, is to disrupt assumptions, then their first ...

Daft Punk: The Midas Touch

Profile and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 19 May 2013

IT IS A PECULIAR experience meeting the most famous faceless musicians in the world. Daft Punk are certainly well known. Eight years after their last ...

The Doors, Ray Manzarek: Ray Manzarek was the key to the Doors

Comment by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 21 May 2013

As a teenager, I stuck a picture of Ray Manzarek on my school pencil tin — no other musician could make you feel like you ...

the xx: Night + Day, Berlin

Live Review by Kate Mossman, The Guardian, 22 May 2013

SPLIT OPEN the head of Jamie xx and you might expect to find an image of post-industrial sadness – an empty ferris wheel turning in the rain, ...

Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five: How we made: Jiggs Chase and Ed Fletcher on 'The Message'

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 27 May 2013

The producer and MC of the hip-hop classic recall trying to persuade Grandmaster Flash to grow a social conscience.               ...

Lorde: New Band Of The Week: Lorde

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 7 June 2013

THIS NZ TEEN is about to make a big splash beyond blog-land. Think Lily meets Lana, only cuter and more cutting. ...

Jungle: New band of the week: Jungle

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 19 June 2013

Unknowns create mesmeric urban-tribal music with potentially viral video ...

Bobby "Blue" Bland dies at 83

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 24 June 2013

BOBBY "BLUE" BLAND, who has died aged 83, was among the great storytellers of blues and soul music. In songs such as 'I Pity the ...

The National: Roundhouse, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 27 June 2013

"WE PLAYED THE Barfly a few years ago," reminisces the National's singer Matt Berninger, making affectionate reference to the long-standing, archetypal indie sweatbox just down ...

Janelle Monáe: "I'm a time traveller. I have been to lots of different places"

Interview by Kate Mossman, The Guardian, 30 June 2013

She's an android-dating style queen who's been compared to Bowie. Is the R&B singer the saviour of pop? ...

Jason Derulo: "I couldn't even tie my own shoelaces"

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 2 July 2013

JASON DERULO is back in the charts — despite breaking his neck after a back flip went wrong. So is the R&B sensation still doing acrobatics? ...

Jay Z, Justin Timberlake: Jay-Z/Justin Timberlake: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London *****

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 15 July 2013

HAS LONDON ever had a more dystopian venue than the Olympic Park? Compared to Wireless's old home of Hyde Park this partially astroturfed gravel car ...

Ke$ha: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 16 July 2013

AS YOU will grasp from her Twitter handle — @keshasuxx — Kesha Sebert likes to think of herself as mad, bad and dangerous.  ...

T-Model Ford: obituary

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 19 July 2013

Mississippi blues guitarist who captivated audiences with his hypnotic playing and random storytelling ...

The Deviants, Mick Farren: Goodbye, Mick Farren, activist, rabble-rousing rocker and NME journalist

Memoir by Charles Shaar Murray, The Guardian, 29 July 2013

Mick Farren, who died onstage in London on Saturday, was a "living banner for the psychedelic left". He was also a friend who joined me ...

Pond (Australia): Pond: Hobo Rocket

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 1 August 2013

INCLUDING TWO CURRENT MEMBERS of Tame Impala and one ex-member in Nick Allbrook, Aussie band Pond are a slightly jokier but no less productive relation ...

FKA Twigs: New Band of the Week: FKA twigs

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 6 August 2013

So, so amazing ethereal dubstep pop from Gloucestershire ...

Eleanor Friedberger: "Rock is a young man's game"

Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 8 August 2013

THE FORMER FIERY FURNACES singer talks about her new album, Personal Record, why she likes being a tomboy — and won't be playing electric guitar ...

Jack Clement, 1931-2013

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 11 August 2013

JACK CLEMENT, who has died aged 82, was not only a prolific and successful songwriter and an able musician but had a long track record ...

Neko Case: "I have to battle with myself"

Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 23 August 2013

Singer Neko Case was at the top of her game when she was struck silent by depression. She tells Laura Barton about retreating to her ranch ...

Rizzle Kicks: Roaring 20s

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 29 August 2013

SUNNY DISPOSITIONS and chirpy tunefulness saw Rizzle Kicks achieve a double-platinum debut in 2011.  ...

Prefab Sprout: Paddy McAloon: "I'll do without an audience to make the music I want"

Profile and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 5 September 2013

Prefab Sprout sold millions of records in the '80s, but singer Paddy McAloon always made music for himself rather than the masses. Now he's back ...

Arctic Monkeys: iTunes festival, Roundhouse, London

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 10 September 2013

From lithe, lusty rock to R&B and menacing theatricality, the Artic Monkeys were on form with impressive versatility ...

Caro Emerald: Royal Festival Hall, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 15 September 2013

POST-WINEHOUSE retro-jazz singer Caro Emerald already has a No 1 album under her belt, and even wider fame looks likely ...

Jackie Lomax, 1944-2013

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 17 September 2013

THE CAREER OF the Liverpool-born singer and songwriter Jackie Lomax, who has died aged 69, seemed set on a golden path when he became one ...

Mazzy Star: "We weren't really in the mood to release music"

Profile and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 19 September 2013

YOU MIGHT THINK that a band letting 17 years elapse between their third and fourth albums was unusual. You might therefore assume that there was ...

Ty Segall: Garage rock's Pied Piper leads a new march

Profile and Interview by James Medd, The Guardian, 21 September 2013

The hardest-working slacker in lo-fi has another album coming out, but this time he's having a bash on drums. ...

Justin Timberlake: Roundhouse, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 29 September 2013

His ex-boyband DNA compels him to give the footwork as much prominence as the songs  ...

Dizzee Rascal: Roundhouse, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 30 September 2013

Beyond the celeb-friends roundup, Dizzee's agility and cheery-badman appeal is undeniable ...

Katy B: XOYO, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 2 October 2013

London's dance-music doyenne unveils a euphoric new set that sounds exactly the way a great night out clubbing can feel. ...

Lizzo — New Band Of The Day

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 4 October 2013

Sour female attitude from Minneapolis, with a little help from Bon Iver and chums. ...

Bauhaus, Belly, The Birthday Party, Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, M/A/R/R/S, The Pixies, This Mortal Coil: 4AD Records: The "pure" label behind Pixies and Cocteau Twins

Retrospective and Interview by Martin Aston, The Guardian, 10 October 2013

Little was known about Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent, the enigmatic founders of celebrated indie label 4AD, until they were tracked down in the US. ...

John Mayer: O2, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 21 October 2013

The blues guitarist turned rock star surveys his discography for a tame but well-crafted show. ...

Girls Allowed? The Women On Top In The Music Industry

Report and Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 26 October 2013

After Sinead O'Connor's open letter of concern to Miley Cyrus, sexism in the music business has never been more discussed. But what do the women ...

Lou Reed, 1942-2013

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 28 October 2013

Velvet Underground frontman and solo artist whose hymns to transgressive behaviour created an audience of outsiders. ...

Tinie Tempah: Demonstration

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 31 October 2013

WHEN A label announces that one of its major autumn pop releases contains "no obviously constructed singles", it usually signals that the artist has lost their mojo.  ...

The Jonas Brothers: Why the Jonas Brothers were doomed from the start

Essay by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 31 October 2013

THE TRANSITION from boyband to adult musician is — whisper it — harder if you are in possession of a Y chromosome. ...

Avril Lavigne: Avril Lavigne

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 7 November 2013

'ROCK'N'ROLL', 'Here's to Never Growing Up', 'Bad Girl': the titles on Avril Lavigne's fifth album are self-explanatory. ...

Glass Animals: New band of the day: Glass Animals

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 7 November 2013

This quirk-pop quartet are the first signing to super-producer Paul Epworth's new label ...

Chase and Status: Arena, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 10 November 2013

CELEBRATING THEIR 10TH YEAR as a dance act by progressing to arenas, Saul "Chase" Milton and Will "Status" Kennard stand knob-twiddling behind lasers, giant jets ...

Keane: As Keane bow out in Berlin, I pray it's not for good

Essay by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 11 November 2013

Unbearable as it is to contemplate, the release of a greatest hits album by the band from Battle could mark their split. ...

Ariana Grande: "I'm not comfortable being forwardly sexual"

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 14 November 2013

She got her big break on a children's TV show, is adored by legions of teenage fans, and now she has released an album — ...

Crystal Fighters: Brixton Academy, London ****

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 24 November 2013

If you thought this sextet could only evoke Vampire Weekend and CSS, then think again: live, their passion can't be faulted ...

Lee Hazlewood, International Submarine Band, Nancy Sinatra: Lee Hazlewood: The wayward guru of cowboy psychedelia

Retrospective by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 28 November 2013

Best known for reviving Nancy Sinatra's career with 'These Boots Are Made for Walkin'', Lee Hazlewood was a highly unorthodox record producer. An epic box ...

Mary J. Blige: "Whitney Houston's funeral freaked me out"

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 28 November 2013

The queen of hip-hop soul on giving up alcohol, getting fit and cutting out the drama in her life. ...

Little Boots: Heaven, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 29 November 2013

Pop's nearly woman evokes Kylie and Lady Gaga, but ultimately brings a wide-eyed intensity all her own ...

Childish Gambino: Because The Internet

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 5 December 2013

CHILDISH GAMBINO, the creation of US actor/standup Donald Glover, was initially seen by some as too plugged in to media circles to be persuasive as a rapper. ...

Palma Violets: Concorde 2, Brighton

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 5 December 2013

The London foursome are living the indie-god dream, mixing ramshackle punk-garage with irresistible visual appeal. ...

Deerhunter: The Zoo, Brisbane

Live Review by Everett True, The Guardian, 10 December 2013

YOU KNOW THAT THX AD, designed to showcase the depth and complexity of sound at the start of DVDs — the volume distorting and taking ...

Five Thirty, World Of Twist: The perils of being ahead of your time: World of Twist and Five Thirty

Retrospective by Bob Stanley, The Guardian, 16 December 2013

IF YOU VISIT TOPSHOP this week, you'll see that the high street is readied for a mid-'90s revival: 2014 will mark the 20th anniversary of ...

Lou Reed tribute concert brings stars of music to Harlem

Live Review by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 18 December 2013

Patti Smith, Moe Tucker, Antony Hegarty, Paul Simon and Debbie Harry sing at Reed's memorial service in New York. ...

Ray Price 1926-2013

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 18 December 2013

COUNTRY MUSIC entered a golden period after the second world war, as scattered regional styles such as honkytonk, western swing and bluegrass began to coalesce ...

Clean Bandit: New band of the day: Clean Bandit

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 24 December 2013

They're the brainy Cambridge grads with the classical strings and background in Russian cinema making groovy garage pop. ...

Suede: "Who says you can only do great stuff if you're damaged?"

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 5 Fall 2013

Good news for beautiful, conflicted outsiders: after 11 years, Suede are back – with an album that's as sharp as their singer's cheekbones. ...

The Isley Brothers: 10 Of The Best

Guide by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 7 January 2014

1. 'Shout (Parts 1 & 2)' The Brothers Isley (Kelly, Rudy and Ron) started out singing gospel music before embarking upon a pop career that would ...

Maroon 5, Robin Thicke: Maroon 5/Robin Thicke: LG Arena, Birmingham

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 9 January 2014

IT MUST BE STRANGE being Robin Thicke. There he was, bouncing along with a solid if unremarkable 10-year career in R&B and suddenly 'Blurred Lines' ...

Jackson C. Frank: The tragic tale of Jackson C. Frank, forgotten legend of the '60s

Retrospective by Bob Stanley, The Guardian, 9 January 2014

He was one of the great singer-songwriters of the '60s folk scene, more highly regarded by some than Paul Simon. But he only recorded one ...

Angel Olsen: New Band Of The Day — Angel Olsen

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 13 January 2014

Intense spectral country with a hint of grunge from Missouri ...

Lamb of God: Academy, Newcastle

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 15 January 2014

"LAMB OF GOD! LAMB OF GOD!" cry north-east England's metal hordes in a room where ritual is king. Pints are hurled and tattoos are compared ...

George Clinton, Funkadelic: George Clinton: "I was born in a lavatory, so I have a legitimate claim on the funk"

Interview by Adrian Deevoy, The Guardian, 23 January 2014

HELLO GEORGE. First things first: what are you wearing? I got my suit on, baby. I like to change things up every now and then. So ...

Pete Seeger: the man who brought politics to music

Obituary by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 28 January 2014

One of Pete Seeger's greatest achievements was incorporating political activism into music, and realising that liberation struggles need a soundtrack ...

Pete Seeger: The road goes on for ever

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 28 January 2014

The folk singer believed in handing on the traditions he had done so much to save, so that others could carry them forward. It was ...

Lightnin' Rod's Hustlers Convention: Rap's Great Lost Album

Retrospective and Interview by Graeme Thomson, The Guardian, 30 January 2014

A FULL DECADE before Public Enemy revolutionised the world of rap, Chuck D first encountered the album he describes today as "a verbal roadmap for people trying to ...

Metronomy: Old Market, Brighton

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 30 January 2014

The band makes a euphoric homecoming loaded with new material that twitches and percolates like nu-rave Sly Stone ...

Suzanne Vega: The Sage, Gateshead

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 3 February 2014

The black-clad singer-songwriter gives her new album an ethereal feel, but still delivers her crowd-pleasing classics — and pays homage to a legendary fellow New ...

Shirley Collins: Five of her best songs

Guide by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 11 February 2014

One of England's greatest folk singers has performed live for the first time in over three decades. To mark her return, here are some of ...

Disclosure on disco, Sting and their new romantic parents

Report and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 13 February 2014

They craft immaculate dance-pop hits with big names from Lorde to Mary J Blige, but when we caught up with them on their US tour ...

Rudimental: Academy Brixton, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 14 February 2014

Joined by a robust supporting cast — including Prince's new BFF Lianne La Havas — the London quartet deliver a ramshackle yet oddly cohesive sold-out ...

Foals: Alexandra Palace, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 16 February 2014

The once-spindly art-rockers have made a full transformation to a thrillingly spontaneous pop group capable of reigning over arenas. ...

Dream Theater: Apollo Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 17 February 2014

CAPE-WEARING former Yes keyboard player Rick Wakeman recently told The Guardian where prog rock went wrong in the 1970s. "We had this thing where bands ...

Ann Peebles: The Girl with the Big Voice

Retrospective and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 20 February 2014

THERE'S A COMMON cliché in music biopics that you might call the eureka fallacy. Our hero is having a conversation or strumming a guitar when ...

Arcade Fire in Haiti: "I feel like it makes sense of me"

Report and Interview by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 26 February 2014

WHERE WOULD Arcade Fire be without the woo-hoos and dense rhythms that characterise many of their best songs? Likely not in Jacmel, a Haitian coastal ...

David Crosby: "The FBI scare me more than Hell's Angels"

Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 26 February 2014

The legendary songwriter on Janis Joplin, being "the voice of cosmic America" and Croz, his first solo album in 20 years.   ...

Duffy Power, 1941-2014

Obituary by Colin Harper, The Guardian, 27 February 2014

Pop singer who found fame in the 1960s and became consumed by the blues, taking up Alexis Korner as an early mentor. ...

The Clash, Vivien Goldman, Sex Pistols: Never mind the swastikas: the secret history of the UK's "punky Jews"

Retrospective by Vivien Goldman, The Guardian, 27 February 2014

Punk Svengalis Malcolm McLaren and Bernie Rhodes were Jewish, and the faith had an influence on UK labels and journalists. For Jewish kids, meanwhile, the ...

Angel Haze: Gorilla, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 9 March 2014

"I KNOW I haven't done a bunch of shows, so thanks y'all for coming out to see me eventually," says Angel Haze, reflecting on her ...

Dillinger, Yellowman: Yellowman/Dillinger: Band on the Wall, Manchester — Two reggae legends on the same bill

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 10 March 2014

Incorrigible showmen unite with a superb band in a smallish venue to give an enthusiastic young audience a treat ...

Drake, The Weeknd: Drake/The Weeknd: Manchester Arena

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 12 March 2014

ABEL TESFAYE, aka the Weeknd, is receiving the kind of cheers you rarely hear for what is technically a support act. The fast-rising 22-year-old Toronto ...

The Stranglers on 40 years of fights, drugs, UFOs and "doing all the wrong things"

Retrospective and Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 12 March 2014

Legend has it the Stranglers started a fight with the Clash, took heroin for a year, exploited strippers on stage, and incited a riot in ...

Hamilton Bohannon: Return of a Disco Legend: Hamilton Bohannon

Report and Interview by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 17 March 2014

The disco pioneer Hamilton Bohannon played his first show in 30 years this weekend. We were there, and caught up with him afterwards. ...

Destroy All Monsters, Sonic's Rendezvous Band, The Stooges: Scott Asheton, 1949-2014

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 17 March 2014

All-action drummer who was a mainstay of the Stooges both in their early years and during later reunions   ...

Justin Timberlake: Sheffield Arena

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 31 March 2014

THE FIRST THING Sheffield sees of Justin Timberlake is his giant silhouette on an enormous backdrop. ...

Frankie Knuckles, 1955-2014

Obituary by Bill Brewster, The Guardian, 1 April 2014

Trailblazing American record producer and club DJ hailed as the Godfather of House ...

St. Paul & the Broken Bones: St Paul & The Broken Bones

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 4 April 2014

The latest soul revivalists from the US who wowed the crowds at the recent SXSW (allegedly). ...

Lavender Country, Chely Wright: Country music's gay stars: "We're still kicking down the closet door"

Report and Interview by Graeme Thomson, The Guardian, 10 April 2014

Country music is known for tears, beers and big hats – not gay anthems. One singer set out 40 years ago to change that, but ...

Beverley Martyn: "I'm still here and I know who I am now"

Interview by Graeme Thomson, The Guardian, 17 April 2014

"I thought I was over the hill," says Beverley Martyn, sipping water in a west London café and poring over a life filled with dark ...

Phil Hardy, 1945-2014

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 25 April 2014

THE LATE 1960s and the '70s saw a sea change in media coverage of popular culture, especially cinema and music. Film reviewers and pop journalists ...

Lily Allen: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 28 April 2014

FIVE YEARS AGO Lily Allen retreated to the Cotswolds to get married and to start a family, and proclaimed that she was retiring from music. ...

Beverley Martyn: Bush Hall, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 30 April 2014

BEVERLEY MARTYN has quite the folk backstory. A teenage paramour of Bert Jansch, who taught her to play guitar, she recorded and toured America with ...

Slint's Spiderland: the album that reinvented rock

Retrospective and Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 1 May 2014

IN 1991, TEENAGE BAND Slint recorded Spiderland, a brooding, sinister record that invented post-rock and influenced a generation of musicians. What inspired a group of ...

Janelle Monáe: The Institute, Birmingham

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 9 May 2014

"JANELLE! MON-ÁE!" yells the Birmingham crowd as the singer is pushed on in a wheelchair, wearing a straitjacket. She leaps up, throwing off the garment ...

Clean Bandit: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 11 May 2014

This chart-topping dance/classical outfit create some genuinely unusual hybrid sounds, and they're consistently entertaining, if occasionally a bit daft ...

tUnE-yArDs: Village Underground, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 14 May 2014

Merrill Garbus orchestrates a joyous performance that is simultaneously metropolitan and tribal ...

Bill Haley: 'Rock Around the Clock' – the world's first rock anthem

Retrospective by Bob Stanley, The Guardian, 22 May 2014

The 1950s made stars of Elvis, Little Richard and Fats Domino, but Bill Haley & His Comets are rock'n'roll's forgotten pioneers. ...

Slowdive: Village Underground, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 22 May 2014

IT'S DIFFICULT TO recollect a more maligned musical movement than the early '90s shoegaze scene. ...

One Direction: Stadium Of Light, Sunderland ***

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 29 May 2014

There may be yet more trouble ahead but it will clearly take more than a whiff of controversy to blunt 1D's appeal ...

Katy Perry: O2 Arena, London

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 1 June 2014

IT'S UNFORTUNATE for Katy Perry that her Prismatic tour is rolling into town just three weeks after Miley Cyrus's Bangerz. ...

Razorlight — Johnny Borrell isn't a buffoon, he's a national treasure

Profile by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 10 June 2014

The world has mocked Johnny Borrell for a decade. For what? Doing the things we want rock stars to do. It's time to celebrate him, ...

Mavis Staples: Union Chapel, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 11 June 2014

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME," Mavis Staples sings vampily. "How old am I? Sixteen years old." In fact, she turned 75 today, but 16 feels about ...

Duke Ellington, Bill Evans, Jimi Hendrix, The Last Poets, John McLaughlin, Cecil Taylor: Alan Douglas, 1931-2014

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 18 June 2014

Record producer best known for his controversial posthumous releases of Jimi Hendrix recordings ...

Gerry Goffin, 1939-2014

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 20 June 2014

Lyricist who, with his partner Carole King, wrote many hit songs of the 1960s. ...

The Eagles, Bernie Leadon: Eagles: Leeds Arena

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 25 June 2014

"WE'LL PLAY TOGETHER AGAIN when hell freezes over," insisted the Eagles' Don Henley when the 70s' biggest-selling American band fell apart in 1980, amid drug ...

Coldplay: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 2 July 2014

A GREAT BREAK-UP album can be a thing of wonder. From Bob Dylan's red-raw Blood on the Tracks to Marvin Gaye's self-lacerating Here, My Dear ...

Duke Ellington, Sun Ra: The secret history of the jazz greats who were freemasons

Essay by John Lewis, The Guardian, 2 July 2014

Jazz and freemasonry are unlikely bedfellows, but in the 1950s, the secret society became a support network for musicians and the world's largest fraternity for ...

Example: Live Life Living

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 3 July 2014

ENCOURAGED BY THE SUCCESS of his 2011 album, Playing In The Shadows, singer/rapper Example plumped for an experimental, guitar-accented follow-up in 2012, only to find ...

Jack White's secret London gig: surgical masks, dry ice and disease

Live Review by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 3 July 2014

Late on Wednesday night, Jack White's fans were summoned to a dark 'medical research centre' off the Strand for a sinister immersive theatre show with ...

Lostprophets, No Devotion: Lostprophets: "He Said He Was Innocent"

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 10 July 2014

When lead singer Ian Watkins pleaded guilty to 13 child sex offences, his former bandmates went into a state of shock. Now, still angry and ...

Tame Impala: Albert Hall, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 13 July 2014

IT MUST BE STRANGE for Tame Impala's Kevin Parker to have written an album about isolation and loneliness and then be required to share his ...

No Devotion: Islington Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 28 July 2014

FOR A NEW STARTUP, the Welsh-American sextet No Devotion come with disproportionate baggage. Five were members of Lostprophets, whose name became tarnished when singer Ian ...

Katy B: Pride, Liverpool waterfront

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 3 August 2014

Out of her natural club environment, and thrust on to a pigeon-strewn, rainy promenade, Katy B compensated by having something for everybody. ...

Ariana Grande: My Everything

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 21 August 2014

IN HER 2013 debut album, Yours Truly, teen-actor-turned-pop-starlet Ariana Grande established a unique, nostalgia-based beachhead, interweaving '90s R&B and 1960s girl groups. ...

The Kooks' Luke Pritchard: "When I look back on some of the songs I wrote, it makes me laugh"

Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 22 August 2014

The new Kooks record features electric church music, a strong Ethiopian-jazz influence ... and no songs about the singer's penis. No wonder Luke Pritchard thinks ...

Interpol on supermodels, surfing and (not) hanging out with the Strokes

Interview by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 28 August 2014

THINGS HAVE CHANGED on the eve of the New Yorkers' fifth album, El Pintor. Not only is it their first without bassist, Carlos D, they ...

5 Seconds of Summer: Roundhouse, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 5 September 2014

THE SYDNEY FOURSOME 5 Seconds of Summer aren't just a boyband, they want us to know. Check the cover of their globally successful debut album: ...

Jungle, Pharrell Williams: Pharrell Williams/Jungle: Roundhouse, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 11 September 2014

He looks dapper, and he opens the show with a brilliant blast of robot funk, but the R&B pioneer is a bit too reserved on ...

The Deers, Hinds (formerly The Deers): New band of the week: The Deers

Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 12 September 2014

This all-female Spanish band capture the sound and spirit of C86 via Spector and the Velvets. ...

Kate Tempest: Poet, performer, novelist: the rise of the uncategorisable Kate Tempest

Report and Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 12 September 2014

Mercury nomination and place on prestigious list of poets are well-deserved accolades for bright young performer ...

Alt-J: This Is All Yours

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 18 September 2014

Sublime hooks and textures ...

Lauryn Hill: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 21 September 2014

The one-time leading light of 90s R&B ditched neo-soul subtleties in favour of ear-splitting hip-hop on the first date of her short UK tour ...

Alt-J: Brighton Centre

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 24 September 2014

"I'M A FEMALE rebel," insists Miley Cyrus's disembodied voice, piercing the opening song of Alt-J's show. Stripped of twerking and tongue associations, the sampled line floats in ...

Jessie J: iTunes festival, Roundhouse, London ***

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 24 September 2014

Naff, good-hearted and prone to motivational guff, Jessie J has a big-sister kindliness that gets the fans bouncing ...

Mary J. Blige: Mary J Blige: Roundhouse, London

Live Review by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 26 September 2014

A masterful Mary J. Blige takes the audience to giddy heights of joy and depths of pain as she showcases her imminent London Sessions album. ...

Tanya Donnelly, Throwing Muses: Throwing Muses/Tanya Donelly: Islington Assembly Hall, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 26 September 2014

Donelly was in strident, declamatory form alongside stepsister Kristin Hersh and the rest of her former alt-rock cohorts. ...

Ed Sheeran: iTunes festival, Roundhouse, London ****

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 30 September 2014

Choirmaster builds to a climax... but keeps his shirt on. The multimillion-selling star stretches English self-deprecation to the limits while creating a whole band's worth of ...

The Fall: Steve Hanley and Olivia Piekarski: The Big Midweek: Life Inside The Fall

Book Review by Barney Hoskyns, The Guardian, 1 October 2014

(This is the original – and very slightly different – version of the review that appeared in the Guardian...) IN HER BLURB for this compelling memoir, ...

Lynsey de Paul "stood out like a cut-glass decanter among milk bottles"

Retrospective by Bob Stanley, The Guardian, 2 October 2014

Author Bob Stanley pays tribute to singer-songwriter Lynsey de Paul, who has died from a suspected brain haemorrhage. ...

Lynsey de Paul, 1950-2014

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 2 October 2014

Singer, composer and the first female musician to win an Ivor Novello award. ...

Meghan Trainor: An Interview

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 2 October 2014

Is the surprise megahit really a dig at thinner women? No way, says the singer, it's about loving and rocking whatever you've got ...

Julian Casablancas: "I have nothing against gentrification"

Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 9 October 2014

The Strokes singer on brunch and banks, dictatorship in the US and his Voidz protest album, Tyranny. ...

Underworld's Dubnobass... 20 years on

Retrospective and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 9 October 2014

THE PLAN, in the beginning, was that there was no plan. No album, no record label, no tours. Karl Hyde and Rick Smith of Underworld ...

Vashti Bunyan: St Pancras Old Church, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 9 October 2014

BUNYAN REMAINS a bashful presence live, her forte a strain of bucolic dream-folk in which nothing much happens, very prettily. ...

Culture Club: Heaven, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 22 October 2014

THE FIRST TIME Culture Club played this basement nightclub, Smash Hits' reviewer Neil Tennant didn't see much of a future for them. ...

Jake Bugg: Alexandra Palace, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 22 October 2014

JAKE BUGG'S ASCENT to fame may have been precipitous, but his idea of showmanship remains remarkably minimalist. ...

Ty Segall: Electric Ballroom, London

Live Review by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 13 November 2014

Segall and his band attack these garage-psych nuggets with wild glee, joyriding them like stolen cars. ...

Mastodon: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 30 November 2014

THE FOUR FRONTMEN straddle the divide between their hardcore roots and crossover future with ease. ...

Bobby Keys, 1943-2014

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 3 December 2014

Saxophone player for many of the greats of rock'n'roll, including the Rolling Stones ...

Divine Styler

Profile and Interview by Chris Campion, The Guardian, 4 December 2014

Unclassifiable, esoteric and revered by the hip-hop cognoscenti, Divine Styler releases his first album in 14 years, Def Mask — a tour de force of ...

Ian McLagan, 1945-2014

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 4 December 2014

MUSIC HISTORY has a special niche reserved for Ian McLagan, who has died aged 69 after suffering a stroke. ...

Young Fathers: XOYO, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 11 December 2014

The Edinburgh hip-hop trio weave disparate influences together to generate a jaw-droppingly synchronised anarchy ...

D'Angelo: Black Messiah — First-Listen Review: 'Investing Vintage Soul With A Fresh Lustre'

Review by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 15 December 2014

D'Angelo's Black Messiah, his first album since 2000's Voodoo, looks back to the funk greats while retaining a modern political edge ...

Benjamin Booker, DD Dumbo, Rag'N'Bone Man, Ike Turner: "A little punk, a little jazz, a little shoegaze": Meet the new blues

Report and Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 1 January 2015

From the spirituals of the deep south to the White Stripes, it's a music that has constantly reimagined itself. But is anyone really ready for ...

James Bay: The new noise bubble: are critics' choice awards for new artists a blessing or a curse?

Comment by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 1 January 2015

Awards such as the BBC's Sound Of 2015 can be vital in helping new artists break through and get noticed by fans — but can ...

Little Jimmy Dickens, 1920-2015

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 8 January 2015

Country music star of the 1950s and '60s who remained a stalwart of the Grand Ole Opry. ...

Chris Spedding: 100 Club, London 

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 12 January 2015

CHRIS SPEDDING is a rare creature: both semi-legendary and utterly anonymous. One of the most prolific session musicians of all time, this virtuoso guitarist's 50-year ...

Adam Lambert, Queen: Queen and Adam Lambert: Arena, Newcastle

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 14 January 2015

AS FANCIFUL AS IT SOUNDS, in Lambert the legendary rock band have found a flamboyant showman with the Freddie factor ...

Fall Out Boy: American Beauty/American Psycho

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 15 January 2015

"THIS IS A really important record," Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz says of their sixth album. That's less self-aggrandising than it appears: he meant only that the long-serving ...

Kim Fowley, 1939-2015

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 18 January 2015

FEW PEOPLE IN pop music spanned such a range as Kim Fowley, the record producer, songwriter and Sunset Strip svengali who has died aged 75. ...

Slipknot: Sheffield Arena, Sheffield

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 19 January 2015

"IS THAT FUCKIN' Sheffield I hear?" asks Corey Taylor, Slipknot's horror-masked frontman. ...

The Decemberists, The Mountain Goats, Mark Ronson: Songs for Swinging Authors: Can novelists write good lyrics?

Report and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 21 January 2015

Forget moon in June. Today's pop lyrics are written by Pulitzer-winning novelists. We talk to the writers muscling into pop – and the musicians flirting ...

Pond (Australia): Pond: Man It Feels Like Space Again

Review by Everett True, The Guardian, 22 January 2015

A FEW MONTHS AGO, I praised the ongoing psych-pop revival currently happening in Australia — bands in all the major metropolises (and numerous small towns) ...

The Go-Betweens: Robert Forster: I wouldn't be able to make sense of Madonna or Drake

Interview by Everett True, The Guardian, 22 January 2015

As a new Go-Betweens box set is released, Brisbane's great purveyor of awkward pop talks about turning critic and which of his songs Ed Sheeran ...

The Beatles, Joy Division, The Smiths, Jack White: Manna for Fans: The history of the hidden track in music

Retrospective by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 25 January 2015

From inner groove loops to absurd backmasking, artists have long found ways to embed secret songs, cryptic writings and coded messages in their albums. ...

Natalie Prass: The Lexington, London

Live Review by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 29 January 2015

DURING A MOMENTARY delay between songs, Nashville singer-songwriter Natalie Prass looks to the audience and, with a genial awkwardness, says: "I feel like I should ...

Hozier: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 3 February 2015

THE CRASHING DESOLATION of Andrew Hozier-Byrne's debut single, 'Take Me to Church', makes for a perversely delectable earworm. One of the most-streamed songs of last ...

Don Covay, 1938-2015

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 4 February 2015

Songwriter, singer and record producer whose compositions became hits for stars including Chubby Checker and Aretha Franklin. ...

Steve Aoki: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 10 February 2015

EDM's poster boy indulges in bone-headed gimmicks that range from hurling cakes at the front row to crowd-surfing in a rubber boat. ...

Drake: If You're Reading This, It's Too Late

Review by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 13 February 2015

ON THURSDAY NIGHT, Drake did what is increasingly becoming known as "a Beyoncé" and dropped, without warning, If You're Reading This, It's Too Late, the ...

Django Django: The Wardrobe, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 17 February 2015

DJANGO DJANGO have always favoured doing things with a twist. Their eponymous debut was hailed for its innovative, modern take on psychedelia, offering a beaty ...

Lesley Gore, 1946-2015

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 17 February 2015

Singer whose passionate teen anthems of the '60s included 'It's My Party' and 'You Don't Own Me'. ...

Sandy Denny: Mick Houghton: I've Always Kept a Unicorn – The Biography of Sandy Denny

Book Review by Barney Hoskyns, The Guardian, 21 February 2015

WHAT, HYPOTHETICALLY, would have happened if Sandy Denny had tried out for The Voice UK? Would Rita and Ricky and Will.i.am and Sir Tom have ...

D'Angelo: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 22 February 2015

HE MAY BE a soulful innovator, but there has always been a strong traditionalism in D'Angelo's music, and he begins tonight by tapping into a ...

Gil Scott-Heron: The Revolution Lives On

Report and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 22 February 2015

Political activist, rap pioneer and poet Gil Scott-Heron shaped the sound of today – from Talib Kweli and Kanye West to Kendrick Lamar. His friends ...

The Pop Group: Have the Pop Group finally become a pop group?

Retrospective and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 26 February 2015

Bristol's post-punk provocateurs have released Citizen Zombie, their first album for 35 years. In 1975, they drew on dub, free-jazz and Baudrillard; 2015 finds singer ...

Lionel Richie: O2 Arena, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 2 March 2015

With the stamina of a performer half his age, the veteran soul star swings between raucous R&B and sweet ballads to the delight of an ...

The War on Drugs: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 3 March 2015

Adam Granduciel's fractured, soul-spilling songs move beyond ragged-glory Americana into rhythmic, sparky epics tonight.   ...

Björk: "I couldn't just write a disco song"

Interview by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 12 March 2015

Björk's new album Vulnicura documents the mess and pain of a breakup, but she's not downhearted. She talks about the influence of British punk and ...

Daniel Johns: Aerial Love

Review by Everett True, The Guardian, 12 March 2015

UPON THE JANUARY RELEASE of song 'Aerial Love', Daniel Johns's first new music in eight years, I read the reviews and couldn't quite believe them. ...

Daevid Allen, Gong, Soft Machine: Daevid Allen, 1938-2015

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 13 March 2015

Founder member of the psychedelic rock groups Soft Machine and Gong. ...

Sleaford Mods: Grammar Wanker: Sleaford Mods 2007‑2014 by Jason Williamson (Bracketpress)

Book Review by John Harris, The Guardian, 18 March 2015

Drug comedowns and fist fights — an angry and uncompromising collection of lyrics. Who else in modern English music is doing anything quite like this? ...

Sister Rosetta Tharpe: The Godmother of Rock'n'Roll

Retrospective by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 18 March 2015

She could outplay Chuck. She could outsing Aretha. And she influenced everyone from Elvis to Rod. Richard Williams revisits the songs and sufferings of the ...

Thin White Rope: Cult heroes: Thin White Rope were scorched, alien, hostile

Retrospective by Graeme Thomson, The Guardian, 24 March 2015

THIN WHITE ROPE were named after William Burroughs's description of ejaculating semen in Naked Lunch – and that's not even the best thing about them. ...

The Strokes: How we made Is This It

Retrospective and Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 24 March 2015

ALBERT HAMMOND Jr, lead guitar: ...

Charli XCX: Concorde 2, Brighton

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 25 March 2015

"BRIGHTON, put your fucking middle fingers up!" are Charli XCX's first words as she launches her first UK tour as headliner. Brighton needs no encouragement: ...

Django Django: "After our first album, everything went nuts"

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 26 March 2015

Django Django's first record propelled them from back-room gigs to the top of festival bills. How did they escape second-album syndrome? ...

Nick Cave: The SICK BAG Song (Canongate)

Book Review by Barney Hoskyns, The Guardian, 28 March 2015

WHEN YOU'VE personally witnessed Nick Cave nodding out on heroin and slowly lowering his head into a candle flame – his mass of dyed black ...

Tracey Thorn: "I'd kill to be able to sing like Adele"

Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 12 April 2015

The Everything But the Girl frontwoman, whose book about the art of singing is out this month, on Twitter, The X Factor – and why ...

Gaz Coombes: The Cluny, Newcastle

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 1 May 2015

WITH PSYCHEDELIC SYMPHONIES and darkly ecstatic drug meltdowns, the ex-Supergrass frontman takes the crowd on a ride from melancholia to euphoria. ...

Charli XCX, TKay Maidza: Charli XCX/Tkay Maidza: The Met, Brisbane

Live Review by Everett True, The Guardian, 8 May 2015

"I'VE BEEN IN Brisbane three days," Charli XCX laughs, "and I've eaten five hotdogs, so thanks for that!" ...

B.B. King, 1925-2015

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 15 May 2015

Self-deprecating but with a magisterial stage presence, King developed a style that was both innovative and rooted in blues history. ...

BadBadNotGood, Ghostface Killah: Ghostface Killah: Electric Ballroom, London

Live Review by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 18 May 2015

Toronto jazz trio BadBadNotGood deliver razor-edge grooves to join the most prolific Wu outside the Clan for a frenetic tour through his back pages ...

Lianne La Havas: Wilton's Music Hall, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 20 May 2015

WILTON'S IS AN EXQUISITE THROWBACK, the oldest grand music hall in Britain, and Lianne La Havas knows all about curious venues. Just over a year ...

Brandon Flowers: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 22 May 2015

THE KILLERS frontman delivers a buzzy rock'n'synth solo show — rounded off by a duet with Chrissie Hynde — but he can't shake his nice-guy ...

Richard Goldstein: Another Little Piece of My Heart: My Life of Rock and Revolution in the '60s (Bloomsbury)

Book Review by Barney Hoskyns, The Guardian, 23 May 2015

WHEN RICHARD GOLDSTEIN got married, Murray "the K" Kaufman – the famous New York disc jockey who'd anointed himself "the Fifth Beatle" in 1964 – ...

Daniel Johns: "Making a big heavy rock record would have been pathetic"

Interview by Everett True, The Guardian, 25 May 2015

The former Silverchair frontman meets his former detractor to talk new album Talk, R&B rebellion and being the Daniel Radcliffe of Australian rock. ...

Twinkle

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 26 May 2015

Singer and songwriter who found fame in the 1960s with her teenage tragedy hit record 'Terry'. ...

How the compact disc lost its shine

Report and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 28 May 2015

It's 30 years since Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms began the CD boom. How did the revolution in music formats come about and what killed ...

Earl Sweatshirt: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 4 June 2015

Disappointed by the lack of enthusiasm from the crowd, the tetchy 21-year-old is entirely true to the restless agitation of his music ...

Jungle: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 5 June 2015

JUNGLE'S SHOW begins as more gigs should: with a terrifyingly poised eight-year-old breakdancer spinning on her head, effortlessly eclipsing the adult musicians behind her. Having ...

Mac DeMarco, Ride, Savages, Patti Smith: Field Day: Victoria Park, London — an embarrassment of riches

Report by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 8 June 2015

The festival market grows ever more crowded, but east London's clued-up shindig keeps getting it right, with FKA twigs, Patti Smith, Ride and many more ...

Amanda Palmer: Union Chapel, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 11 June 2015

SHE HAS ALWAYS BEEN an open book, and now Amanda Palmer has written one. Tonight's gig is largely to promote The Art of Asking, the ...

Kathryn Williams: "Sylvia was a big shadow over my writing"

Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 14 June 2015

Singer-songwriter Kathryn Williams talks about how Sylvia Plath inspired her new album, and why she is determined to rescue the poet from the 'sexy, depressing ...

Sarah Cracknell: Gorilla, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 21 June 2015

"YOU MAY NOTICE that I've got a bad throat," begins Sarah Cracknell, ominously. For the next couple of songs, she struggles to hit the higher ...

Taylor Swift: Apple royalties U-turn: is Taylor Swift the most powerful woman in music?

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 22 June 2015

Viewed as an advocate for artists and a game-changer, almost no other pop star could have made the corporate behemoth roll over. ...

Nina Simone: "Are you ready to burn buildings?"

Retrospective by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 22 June 2015

From singing the soundtrack to the civil rights movement to living in self-imposed exile in Liberia, Nina Simone never chose the easy path. As a ...

Florence and the Machine: "I funned myself out"

Interview by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 25 June 2015

Big nights and big feelings left "a trail of absolute destruction" in Florence Welch's wake. As she prepares for the biggest night of her life ...

Michael Head & The Strands: The Olde World

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 25 June 2015

AFTER FRONTING the revered-but-unsuccessful Pale Fountains, Shack and the Strands alongside his guitarist brother John, Michael Head was once dubbed "Britain's greatest songwriter (recognise him?)" ...

Black Grape: Forum, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 30 June 2015

BLACK GRAPE hit No 1 with their debut album in 1995, yet never truly felt part of the Britpop circus. For obvious reasons, you were ...

Tyler, the Creator: Cherry Bomb

Review by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 30 June 2015

IT'S A GOOD TIME for Odd Future fans. Earl Sweatshirt's new album just dropped, Frank Ocean's follow-up to Channel Orange is imminent and there's even a Golf Wang app: "Tyler ...

Pete Townshend, The Who: Pete Townshend: "Music has always suffered from being tied to politics or religion"

Report and Interview by Tim Cooper, The Guardian, 2 July 2015

As he releases a version of Quadrophenia performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Who's guitarist explains that his band were never really anti-establishment. ...

Cannibal Ox: Oslo, London

Live Review by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 16 July 2015

The New York hip hop duo were at their best as they unleashed the cavernous thunder and pungent rhymes of their classic album The Cold ...

Earl Sweatshirt on Hollywood parties, deconstructing Hermann Hesse and therapy

Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 16 July 2015

Once the world's most notorious teenage rapper, the 21-year-old is back with a second full-length album — and a more mature outlook ...

Wilco: Star Wars ****

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 17 July 2015

The Chicago band's ninth album successfully blends Bowie space-glam, Beatles psychedelic singsong and Captain Beefheart weirdness ...

Nick Jonas: Islington Academy, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 20 July 2015

THE FORMER TEEN STAR has shaved his head, picked up a guitar and is covering Outkast. But while his talent is undeniable, he needs to ...

Cluster, Harmonia: Dieter Moebius, 1944-2015

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 22 July 2015

THOUGH BORN IN Switzerland, Dieter Moebius, who has died aged 71, was destined to become renowned as one of the pioneers of so-called Krautrock. ...

Mica Levi: Bold Tendencies, London

Live Review by Ben Thompson, The Guardian, 2 August 2015

IF ARTISTS ARE, as Grayson Perry has astutely noted, "the shock troops of gentrification", then musicians aren't too far behind them. Roosting on the art-installation-bedecked ...

Cilla Black 1943-2015

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 3 August 2015

THE BRITISH POP revolution of the 1960s involved not only male guitar bands, but also several young female singing stars, including Cilla Black, who has ...

Sun Kil Moon: St George's Church, Brighton

Live Review by David Bennun, The Guardian, 4 August 2015

BACK, THEN, to the old question of whether, and how, one separates the artist from the art. Mark Kozelek's music has been justly treasured since ...

Curtis Mayfield: 10 of the best

Guide by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 5 August 2015

Deploying sweet soul and blistering funk – and pouring his gorgeous, honeyed falsetto over it all – Curtis Mayfield veered between breezy optimism and hard-edged ...

The Apartments: album's birth so traumatic 'it's a miracle it exists at all'

Profile and Interview by Andrew Stafford, The Guardian, 7 August 2015

Peter Milton Walsh had no intention of releasing the songs he wrote after tragedy struck. After 18 years he is ready to share them at ...

The Jam: À la mod: how the Jam and mod style transcended fashion

Retrospective by Paul Gorman, The Guardian, 12 August 2015

A new exhibition of the Jam at Somerset House proves that the mod look, from Carnaby Street to Uniqlo, is the gift that keeps on ...

POTUS playlist: Barack Obama shares his favorite summer tracks on Spotify

Comment by Maura Johnston, The Guardian, 14 August 2015

The US president freshens America's musical palate with a survey of tried-and-true classics and discoverable new artists ranging from soul to rock to jazz. ...

Magnum, Suzi Quatro, Saxon, Uriah Heep, Wishbone Ash: "We'll retire at 106. What else can we do?" The rockers who won't call it a day

Report and Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 18 August 2015

From Suzi Quatro to Saxon's Biff Byford, rock's pioneers have been making music for more than 40 years. Here they talk about leather jumpsuits, performing ...

Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel: Bob Johnston, 1932-2015

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 18 August 2015

Record producer who played a significant role in the recording career of Bob Dylan. ...

Destroyer: Poison Season

Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 20 August 2015

Dan Bejar found unexpected late-career success with 2011's Kaputt, and seems uncomfortable with the high expectations for its follow-up — but it turns out to ...

Richard Dawson, St. Vincent, Super Furry Animals: Green Man festival, Glanusk Park, Brecon Beacons — home-town heroes and hot tubs steal the weekend

Live Review by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 24 August 2015

Super Furry Animals take Saturday with a gloriously long set, while a dazzling St Vincent proves that Green Man just gets better with age ...

Halsey

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 4 September 2015

She's the new superstar-in-waiting, dividing the critics — but amassing an army of believers — with her powerful yet sorrowful pop-R&B ...

Blick Bassy: "I want to expose the dangers of the immigration dream"

Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 9 September 2015

The Cameroonian singer-songwriter draws on figures from Miles Davis to African freedom fighters to produce his soulful, melodic sound — but it wasn't until he ...

Wolf Alice: Newcastle University

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 22 September 2015

IN AN AGE OF INSTANT EVERYTHING, Wolf Alice prove that the tortoise can still beat the hare. After they formed (initially as an acoustic duo) ...

The Eagles, Don Henley: Don Henley

Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 1 October 2015

YOU WOULD NEVER know that a member of the biggest American band in history had just entered the building. Dressed down in chequered shirt and ...

The Icarus Line: Cult heroes

Profile and Interview by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 6 October 2015

DEATH THREATS, DOOMED ACTS, audience-baiting: the exploits have overshadowed the music at times. But they are still the greatest rock group of the 21st century. ...

The Lemonheads: Ritz, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 8 October 2015

Without the drugs, and supported by the youthful enthusiasm of bassist Jen Turner, Evan Dando gives his hit parade the care it deserves – and ...

U2: O2 Arena, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 26 October 2015

The cathartic nature of the band's 13th studio album, Songs of Innocence, is sensitively reflected in this tour, which melds the personal and the political. ...

Afrika Bambaataa, Mark Ronson: Afrika Bambaataa and Mark Ronson: Uptown and Downtown Funk Masters

Report and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 27 October 2015

The pair remember two influential generations of hip-hop dance parties ahead of being honoured next month for their contributions to New York City's club scene. ...

Dave Gahan & Soulsavers: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 27 October 2015

DROPPING THE SYNTHS for Soulsavers' beefed up guitars, Basildon's Elvis is too charismatic to blend in with the band ...

Beach House: Ritz, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 28 October 2015

"THIS ONE'S GOING to be in near darkness," mutters the man on the door, and Beach House emerge in so much gloom that if one ...

Björk on Iceland: "We don't go to church, we go for a walk"

Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 16 November 2015

Björk used to walk across the tundra singing at the top of her lungs. John Grant left America for its rocky grandeur and Sigur Rós's ...

Chvrches: The Dome, Brighton

Live Review by David Bennun, The Guardian, 17 November 2015

WHAT A CURIOUS, synthetic experience it is to see Chvrches. Not that there's ever anything amiss with pop feeling synthetic. What makes Chvrches odd is ...

Jon Savage: 1966 – The Year the Decade Exploded

Book Review by Bob Stanley, The Guardian, 20 November 2015

THE POP MUSIC you hear in your teenage years affects you more deeply than at any other time in your life. People who don't go ...

Gloria Estefan: how her rhythm got America … and the world

Retrospective and Interview by Maura Johnston, The Guardian, 25 November 2015

Pop hits with Latino influences are de rigueur now — and no one has had a greater impact on this state of affairs than Cuban-Americans ...

Mercury Rev: Oval Space, London

Live Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 28 November 2015

A COUPLE ARE slow-dancing next to the ladies' loos, moony smiles on their faces. Three similarly-minded women float out of the bathroom, swaying their hands ...

Mumford & Sons: Mumford and Sons: Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 30 November 2015

THE WAISTCOATS may have been abandoned in favour of leather jackets, widescreen rock and lasers, but pandemonium erupts for every stomping oldie. ...

Lush reunited: "We were seen as a band who'd turn up to the opening of a packet of crisps"

Retrospective and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 3 December 2015

Ethereal, angelic shoegazers or boozy scenesters? Seventeen years after they split up, Lush talk about their legacy – and why they have reformed. ...

Carly Rae Jepsen: Islington Assembly Hall, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 8 December 2015

'The Call Me Maybe' singer infuses her 80s-textured pop with believability and uses her underdog status to win over the audience ...

Hudson Mohawke: Roundhouse, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 11 December 2015

With synths that screech like air brakes and crushing, abrasive beats, a night of Mohawke's musical maximalism is both exhilarating and wearying ...

Saint Etienne: Fairfield Halls, Croydon

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 13 December 2015

SAINT ETIENNE are frequently sublime, but they can also be ridiculous. It is surely beyond the ability even of Pete Wiggs and Bob Stanley to ...

Sleater-Kinney: A Riot Grrrl Remembers: Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl: A Memoir by Carrie Brownstein

Book Review by Kate Mossman, The Guardian, 29 December 2015

A complex and moving portrait of a coming of age in America ...

Alien Ant Farm: Northumbria University, Newcastle

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 11 January 2016

THE LIKES OF KORN and Limp Bizkit may have been the stars of nu-metal, but Californians Alien Ant Farm were the movement's successful pranksters. While ...

Angel Haze: O2 ABC, Glasgow

Live Review by Ben Thompson, The Guardian, 16 January 2016

EYES FLASHING IN THE SHADOW of her pristine white baseball cap with its breaking black heart motif — the brim seems to have been extended ...

Dua Lipa: Hope & Ruin, Brighton

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 19 January 2016

She invites comparisons with labelmate Lana Del Rey, but the young Londoner's lack of audience interaction make her seem as if she has nothing to ...

The Eagles, Glenn Frey: Glenn Frey obituary

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 19 January 2016

Singer and guitarist with the US rock band the Eagles, and co-writer of such memorable songs as 'Hotel California', 'New Kid in Town' and 'Heartache ...

Shearwater: Jet Plane and Oxbow

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 21 January 2016

SHEARWATER'S SOMETIME naturalist frontman, Jonathan Meiburg, describes the band's ninth and finest album as a "protest record", and it finds him surveying a world embattled ...

Paul Kantner obituary

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 31 January 2016

Leading light in Jefferson Airplane and San Francisco’s Summer of Love ...

Hot Chip, Thurston Moore, This Heat: This Is Not This Heat: Cafe Oto, London

Live Review by Luke Turner, The Guardian, 14 February 2016

Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor and Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore joined the experimental lineup for a night of fresh and focussed sounds ...

Barry Adamson: "I've been called the outsider's outsider"

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 15 February 2016

The Bad Seeds and Magazine bassist on writing music for David Lynch, being ignored by Morrissey and moving to Moss Side to recuperate after the ...

David Bowie, Lady Gaga: Lady Gaga's David Bowie tribute didn't do either artist justice

Comment by Maura Johnston, The Guardian, 16 February 2016

Gaga has Bowie's shapeshifting abilities and a strong voice, but the late star's legacy was ill-served by the hectic megamix she performed. ...

White Denim: The Deaf Institute, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 16 February 2016

THEY DON'T HAVE the sheen of contemporaries the Black Keys, but fired-up guitar solos and soulful falsettos get the crowd whooping ...

Loyle Carner: Garage, London ★★★★☆


Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 22 February 2016

Soul-Searching Hip-Hop With Charged Intensity The fresh-faced British rapper's unsentimental candour is coupled with a thrilling love for language and J Dilla-inspired beats ...

Bill Ryder-Jones: The Deaf Institute, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 6 March 2016

A MAGICAL TALENT spills melody and emotion. Co-founder of the Coral takes the solo route to fuse grunge and gentleness in compelling tales of everyday ...

Thin Lizzy: Graeme Thomson: Cowboy Song: The Authorised Biography of Philip Lynott

Book Review by Barney Hoskyns, The Guardian, 9 March 2016

THIS FINE TELLING of the messy life of Thin Lizzy's charismatic frontman is studded with moments of bathos, but one sticks particularly in the mind. ...

Alessia Cara: "Social media is like a fake reality and it's hard to block things out"

Profile and Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 10 March 2016

She's struck pop gold in the US and has befriended Taylor Swift and Drake – despite describing herself as an 'antisocial pessimist'. And then there's ...

Ke$ha, The Last Shadow Puppets: Sexism on repeat: how the music industry can break the cycle

Essay by Maura Johnston, The Guardian, 11 March 2016

From Kesha's case against Dr Luke to Miles Kane's objectification of a female journalist, the industry has to admit there's a problem before sexism is ...

Little Mix: Brighton Centre

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 15 March 2016

IT WOULD BE HARD TO FIND a less weird girl group than Little Mix, which makes the question posed on a screen — "Are you ...

The 1975, Taylor Swift: Matt Healy's comments about Taylor Swift were not the words of a misogynist

Comment by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 18 March 2016

The 1975 singer attracted controversy by saying that dating Taylor Swift would be emasculating. It was me he was speaking to, and I saw an ...

Lydia Lunch: Lexington, London

Live Review by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 22 March 2016

Lunch unites with Gallon Drunk's James Johnston and Ian White for the most joyfully bawdy music of her career. ...

Wolf Alice: Folkestone Leas Cliff Hall

Live Review by Ben Thompson, The Guardian, 26 March 2016

A CROSSWORD COMPILER'S CLUE for the genre of Brit- and Grammy-nominated, north London quartet Wolf Alice might read as follows: "Compound musical form, first half ...

At the Drive-In: Roundhouse, London

Live Review by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 28 March 2016

DYNAMISM UNDIMMED by the departure of Jim Ward, the band play punk-rock as a pure adrenaline rush, tempos changing and riffs turning on hairpins. ...

Explosions in the Sky: The Wilderness

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 31 March 2016

TEXAN FOUR-PIECE Explosions in the Sky have developed an international cult following as their post-rock instrumentals have appeared everywhere from film soundtracks to TV trailers. ...

Lukas Graham: Lukas Graham

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 31 March 2016

LUKAS GRAHAM FORCHHAMMER, to give this Danish songwriter/frontman his full name, has scored the biggest hit of 2016 so far with '7 Years'. ...

Al Green: 10 of the best

Guide by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 20 April 2016

From a chequered career, the tussle between the religious and the secular is audible on all of Green's best songs – even the ones he ...

Daryl Hall & John Oates, Supertramp: Cruise control: How Yacht Rock sailed back into fashion

Overview by Jennifer Otter Bickerdike, The Guardian, 20 April 2016

Smooth, well-produced, meticulously written: Soft Rock had a bad reputation in the DIY '80s and '90s. But today it has renewed relevance. An aficionado explains. ...

Delines, The , Richmond Fontaine: Willy Vlautin: "I had a picture of Steinbeck and a picture of the Jam"

Interview by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 24 April 2016

WILLY VLAUTIN is an American musician and novelist based in Portland, Oregon. His alt-country band Richmond Fontaine won critical acclaim with their 2004 album, Post ...

The Lumineers: O2 Academy Brixton, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 25 April 2016

LIKE MUMFORD & SONS, the Lumineers have adopted a strand of rootless country-folk that has no geographical connection to Nashville. Founding members Wesley Schultz and ...

Beyoncé's Lemonade is an object lesson in collaboration

Comment by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 28 April 2016

She's the centripetal force that marshals the likes of Robert Plant, Jack White, Kendrick Lamar and MNEK to craft exquisite pop music that transcends boundaries ...

Drake: How Drake became the all-pervading master of hyper-reality rap

Comment by Simon Reynolds, The Guardian, 28 April 2016

The Canadian artist's success at spreading both his sound and self far and wide owes much to his desire to be everything to everybody – ...

James Blake: "I'm the opposite of punk – I've subdued a generation"

Profile and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 5 May 2016

Kanye, Beyoncé, Drake and Frank Ocean have all been inspired by the unassuming Londoner's sound. Now he's coming of age with his new album, The ...

Miracle Legion: Cult heroes: Miracle Legion – the band Thom Yorke loved, who could have been REM

Retrospective by Martin Aston, The Guardian, 17 May 2016

EVEN AT THE TIME, in April 1986, I knew it was unnecessary hyperbole on my part when my submitted Melody Maker feature about an emerging ...

Kid Creole & The Coconuts: My Kid Creole musical was a hard nut to crack

Retrospective by Vivien Goldman, The Guardian, 20 May 2016

Three decades after I met Kid Creole and the Coconuts while profiling them for NME, their musical Cherchez la Femme has finally reached the New ...

Tommy Genesis: New band of the week: Tommy Genesis

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 20 May 2016

In the beginning, there was rap. Tommy Genesis, from Canada, takes it to a new level with her brittle, daring and cold ATL trap. ...

PJ Harvey et al: Field Day, Victoria Park, London

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 13 June 2016

A lineup including Skepta, Deerhunter, James Blake and PJ Harvey prove more than able to banish wet weather blues with warm and powerful performances. ...

James Carr, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley: Chips Moman, 1937-2016

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 15 June 2016

Guitarist, record producer and songwriter who co-wrote 'The Dark End of the Street' and worked with Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin and Tammy Wynette. ...

The 5th Dimension: Elegant Pop Crooners Who Wowed The Mainstream

Retrospective by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 21 June 2016

MY PARENTS owned only two albums that weren't folk or opera. One was the original Broadway cast recording of the musical Hair, which was famous ...

Coldplay: Chris Martin: "Coldplay are saying the opposite of walls and Brexit"

Interview by Sophie Heawood, The Guardian, 23 June 2016

IT IS RATHER GRATIFYING, when meeting a band who have sold 80m albums and are about to headline the world's biggest music festival for the ...

Serge Gainsbourg, Mick Harvey: Mick Harvey: Delirium Tremens

Review by Andrew Stafford, The Guardian, 23 June 2016

Two decades after Intoxicated Man and Pink Elephants, Nick Cave's right-hand man returns to Serge Gainsbourg's oeuvre to explore even stranger corners. ...

Ralph Stanley, 1927-2016

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 26 June 2016

FOLLOWING THE DEATH of Bill Monroe in 1996, Ralph Stanley became the leading name in bluegrass, embodying in both his music and his bearing the ...

Minnie Riperton: 10 of the best tracks

Guide by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 29 June 2016

She had a five-octave vocal range, inspired Stevie Wonder and gave birth to Maya Rudolph – the tragedy is that this huge musical talent died ...

Spice Girls: The 1990s were the best of times… until the Spice Girls ruined everything

Retrospective by Sylvia Patterson, The Guardian, 4 July 2016

A decade of unbridled musical creativity also saw the rise of brand-pop muses the Spice Girls, celebrity culture and hyper-capitalism ...

Belly: Leeds Univeristy

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 17 July 2016

Beguiling fairytales, big choruses — as the crowd declare love, it beggars belief that Belly have spent so long in cold storage. ...

Suicide, Alan Vega: Alan Vega, 1938-2016

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 18 July 2016

Co-founder and frontman of the confrontational electronic band Suicide ...

The Lemon Twigs: New band of the week: The Lemon Twigs

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 18 July 2016

Prodigious brothers from New York make lush, lo-fi pop inspired by the Beatles, Beach Boys and any number of eclectic influences. ...

The Faces, Michael Jackson, The Police, Slade: John Pidgeon, 1947-2016

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 21 July 2016

Rock writer turned broadcasting executive who did much to reinvigorate BBC radio comedy. ...

The Moles: Tonight's Music

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 11 August 2016

LIKE THEIR PEERS the Chills, the Moles' gently psychedelic, impassioned indie-rock strayed into the elemental. Now reactivated around Australian founder Richard Davies after interest was ...

Bastille: Dan Smith of Bastille: "I sound like a nervous wreck who hates doing this"

Profile and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 25 August 2016

DAN SMITH AND I have been talking in the corner of a hotel bar for ten minutes when a middle-aged man walks over and asks: ...

Lisa Hannigan: At Swim

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 26 August 2016

IT'S 14 YEARS since Lisa Hannigan first came to attention as the second voice on Damien Rice's debut, O, and five since her last album, ...

Margo Price: Scala, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 2 September 2016

Price is a country traditionalist who turns the hard-luck stories of her life into irresistibly vivid and vibrant music. ...

Jesca Hoop, Iron & Wine: Sam Beam and Jesca Hoop: Union Chapel, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 2 September 2016

The voices of Iron & Wine's Beam and Californian singer-songwriter Hoop pool mellifluously together until they seem made for each other. ...

Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, N.W.A: Jerry Heller, 1940-2016

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 7 September 2016

Music manager who launched NWA and set up Ruthless Records with Eazy-E   ...

"Landmark clubs are evidence of creativity and energy in a city": why Fabric's closure matters

Report and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 8 September 2016

Britain's clubland is shrinking but the world-famous London venue had survived the trend – until now. What does its loss mean for the capital's cultural ...

Bastille: Wild World

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 8 September 2016

BEING HIGHLY successful seems not to have figured in frontman Dan Smith's aspirations for Bastille, whose 4m album sales have triggered ambivalence and self-doubt. ...

David Bowie, John Phillips: Bowie and the missing soundtrack: The amazing story behind The Man Who Fell to Earth

Retrospective and Interview by Chris Campion, The Guardian, 8 September 2016

David Bowie is rumoured to have written a score to the sci-fi classic that's locked up in some vault. But the truth is much stranger ...

Ed Harcourt: "I'm coming out with fists flying"

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 14 September 2016

It's taken seven albums, visions of the child catcher and Billy Bunter's reflection in the mirror, but the English songwriter has finally refound his voice ...

Sean Paul: Electric Ballroom, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 14 September 2016

The sparky showboater's glory days may be some way behind him, but his rueful rhythms haven't just aged well over the years – they carry ...

Nick Cave: One More Time With Feeling, Skeleton Tree and the power and language of grief

Interview by Mark Mordue, The Guardian, 19 September 2016

The subject matter is heavy – the death of a child – but the results are divine in an album that emerges from struggle to ...

Björk: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 22 September 2016

The Icelandic star's electrifying voice and sense of fun transcend the conventional setting. ...

Bon Iver: 'There are people who are into being famous. And I don’t like that'

Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 24 September 2016

Justin Vernon’s falsetto-folk infiltrated pop and caught Kanye’s ear but now he’s kicking against the fame game. For his new album, he explains why the ...

Gene Clark: 10 of the best

Guide by David Bennun, The Guardian, 28 September 2016

From hallucinatory stormers to Dylan-esque big-city tales, here are 10 tracks that define an artist forever ahead of a game he always ended up losing. ...

Acid Mothers Temple: Hope & Ruin, Brighton

Live Review by David Bennun, The Guardian, 29 September 2016

NON-STOP head-melting psychedelia — each pulsating, echo-drenched disco-rock groove excels the one before, ending in a collective instrumental howl: AMT are hot, sweaty cool sonic ...

New Order: Peter Hook: Substance – Inside New Order

Book Review by Andy Beckett, The Guardian, 5 October 2016

The band's bassist gives full details of drugs, groupies and excesses on tour, but his account of New Order's voyage to becoming a pop institution ...

David Bowie, The Comet Is Coming, Robert Glasper, GoGo Penguin, Shabaka Hutchings, Kendrick Lamar, Donny McCaslin, Courtney Pine, Sons of Kemet, Thundercat, Kamasi Washington: The new cool: how Kamasi, Kendrick and co gave jazz a new groove

Essay by John Lewis, The Guardian, 6 October 2016

A generation of jazz musicians has grown up with hip-hop in its blood. The result is the thrilling reinvention of a genre that has been ...

Michael Kiwanuka: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 12 October 2016

MICHAEL KIWANUKA is a mass of contradictions and all the better for it. He's a self-doubting soul man whose second album, Love & Hate, recently ...

Arab Strap: The Cluny, Newcastle upon Tyne

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 13 October 2016

Aidan Moffatt and Malcolm Middleton revive tales of chaotic lifestyles for Brexit Britain, with music that ricochets between folk, pop and intense dance. ...

The Beach Boys: Mike Love: Good Vibrations

Book Review by Bob Stanley, The Guardian, 13 October 2016

Love lacked the sensitivity of his cousin Brian Wilson, but he kept the band going after their fall from grace. He tells his side of ...

Angel Olsen: Concorde 2, Brighton

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 14 October 2016

ANGEL OLSEN'S BREAKTHROUGH ALBUM, 2014's Burn Your Fire for No Witness, brought the St Louis-born songwriter into contact with those she calls "weirdos" — people ...

Craig David: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 21 October 2016

The likable pop-soul veteran hasn't lost his sentimental side, but he reveals a slightly harder edge with stage-prowling antics and tongue-tying raps. ...

Craig David: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 21 October 2016

The likable pop-soul veteran hasn't lost his sentimental side, but he reveals a slightly harder edge with stage-prowling antics and tongue-tying raps. ...

Bobby Vee, 1943-2016

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 25 October 2016

Singer whose infuriatingly catchy '60s hits included 'Rubber Ball' and 'The Night Has a Thousand Eyes'. ...

Mary J. Blige, Maxwell: Mary J. Blige/Maxwell: O2 Arena, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 30 October 2016

Blige commands the stage with raw rage and consciousness-raising while neo-soul pioneer Maxwell melts the room with trademark loose grooves. ...

PJ Harvey: O2 Academy Brixton, London

Live Review by David Bennun, The Guardian, 31 October 2016

The musician brings her Hope Six Demolition Project on tour to rail against social ills, and confirm her status as a forceful commentator. ...

Alicia Keys: "I want to make sure all the issues about race are addressed"

Profile and Interview by Kate Mossman, The Guardian, 6 November 2016

At a hometown launch for her new album, Here, the New York singer-songwriter talks about the US election, Black Lives Matter and modern family life. ...

Leonard Cohen: Looking at Leonard Cohen's darkness misses the warmth of his words

Comment by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 11 November 2016

When you listen to the lyrics Cohen wrote, you realise how alive his language is – and how much he was seeking the light. ...

Leon Russell, 1942-2016

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 14 November 2016

IN 2010, ELTON JOHN surprised his fans by releasing an album in collaboration with the pianist, singer and songwriter Leon Russell, whom he described as ...

Julia Holter: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 15 November 2016

The singer-songwriter cast a spell over the crowd with her cherished characters and carnival of sounds – but an industro-rock climax proved too much for ...

A Tribe Called Quest return: "You fight for what you love — and you go through hell to get it"

Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 17 November 2016

Eighteen years after their last album, the hip-hop legends are back with a record that reunites original members Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Jarobi White and ...

Sharon Jones: obituary

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 20 November 2016

Powerful soul and funk singer with the Dap-Kings hailed for her stage presence. ...

Drake, Green Day, Sting: American Music Awards: anti-Trump sentiment peppers pop's timid party

Report by Maura Johnston, The Guardian, 21 November 2016

Usually the awards show is a chance for those who turn up to walk away with a gong, but this year several acts and presenters ...

Chance the Rapper: Academy, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 21 November 2016

The hip hop boundary-breaker had a triumphant night in Manchester, keeping his audience on their toes with a mix of humility, eclecticism and spirituality. ...

Slick Rick: "You learn from prison time – what doesn't kill you makes you stronger"

Profile and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 24 November 2016

His morality tales of ghetto life made the Anglo-American rapper famous – and chillingly predicted his imprisonment for attempted murder. Now, 13 years since he ...

The Lemon Twigs: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 2 December 2016

Michael and Brian D'Addario dress like they're in a 70s panto, but any suggestions of pastiche are demolished by the humbling beauty of their songs. ...

PWR BTTM: West Hill Hall, Brighton

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 4 December 2016

IF QUEER PUNK finds its commercial feet in 2017, it will be largely thanks to the enthusiastic efforts of PWR BTTM. On their debut UK ...

Skepta: Alexandra Palace, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 4 December 2016

RECEIVED WISDOM has long held that grime, the attitudinal amalgam of garage, jungle, rap and electro that ripped out of east London's sink estates at ...

Greg Lake obituary

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 8 December 2016

Key figure in 1970s prog rock as bass guitarist for Emerson, Lake & Palmer ...

The 1975: O2 Arena, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 16 December 2016

Matt Healy lounge-lizards across the stage as his band charm the first of two sellout O2 crowds with sharp-edged, irresistible songs. ...

George Michael: Why George Michael was the greatest pop star of the MTV era

Comment by Maura Johnston, The Guardian, 26 December 2016

Jackson had the moves, Madonna had the moxie, Prince had the sex – but George Michael had the voice … and thrilling songs like spinning ...

Austra: "How psychedelic would our world be if technology wasn't just about making someone money?"

Interview by Maura Johnston, The Guardian, 5 January 2017

Depressed at the state of the world, Canadian vocalist and producer Katie Stelmanis dove into Naomi Klein, Star Trek, cyborgs and Latin American dance music ...

Peter Sarstedt, 1941-2017

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 9 January 2017

Singer-songwriter who topped the charts in 1969 with 'Where Do You Go to (My Lovely)' ...

The Blue Aeroplanes: Academy 2, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 16 January 2017

With their constantly changing lineup, poetic lyrics and unstoppable dancer Wojtek, the Bristol band show no signs of landing. ...

JoJo: Koko, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 18 January 2017

AFTER 10 YEARS OUT the singer is back, singing about depression, defiance and desire in a voice that skims from delicacy to sledgehammer vehemence. ...

Busted: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 5 February 2017

Wall-to-wall screaming greets the trio's return, but 13 years on their infectiously exuberant punk-pop has been replaced by cloying, synth-heavy soft rock ...

Busted: Hammersmith Apollo, London — all grown up and not so much fun

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 5 February 2017

Wall-to-wall screaming greets the trio's return, but 13 years on their infectiously exuberant punk-pop has been replaced by cloying, synth-heavy soft rock. ...

Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry: "Purposeful pop": can stars like Katy Perry create change through music?

Comment by Maura Johnston, The Guardian, 14 February 2017

After Perry's #wokepop at the Grammys, there's an argument about how subversive pop can be in 2017. History shows it will take more than hashtags. ...

At the Drive-In pick up where they left off — sounding like the future

Profile by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 24 February 2017

SEVENTEEN YEARS AFTER THEY SPLIT, At the Drive-In's return brings back hot-footed, high-wire punk that honours their past. ...

Lady Leshurr: The Arch, Brighton

Live Review by David Bennun, The Guardian, 27 February 2017

Ingenious freestyler combines mischief, wit and expert comic timing. ...

Lorde: 'Green Light'

Review by Maura Johnston, The Guardian, 2 March 2017

The 20-year-old New Zealand singer makes a triumphant return with a stellar '90s-inspired pop song about her first heartbreak. ...

Prefab Sprout: Why Prefab Sprout's return with 'America' is a whim and a wonder

Report by Pete Paphides, The Guardian, 6 March 2017

Paddy McAloon surfaced on Friday with a new track that is heartbreaking in an entirely unexpected way. ...

Hurray for the Riff Raff: The Navigator

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 9 March 2017

"I FEEL THAT the soul of New York is under attack," Americana songwriter and Bronx native Alynda Segarra recently said. Her sixth album as Hurray ...

Zac Brown Band, Brad Paisley: Brad Paisley/Zac Brown Band: O2 Arena, London

Live Review by Andrew Mueller, The Guardian, 13 March 2017

Hats off to two entertaining stars of the C2C festival who take contrasting approaches to God, the south and the good ol' US of A. ...

Thundercat: Gorilla, Manchester

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 26 March 2017

The gifted bassist and Kendrick Lamar sidekick twists fusion, soul and hip-hop into magical shapes. ...

Phoenix and the Flower Girl: New band of the week: Phoenix and the Flower Girl

Profile by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 27 March 2017

The last ever New Band of the Week brings an appropriately phantasmagoric end to the column's 11-year run ...

Jesca Hoop: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 29 March 2017

THE TRADITIONAL music business strategy of finding a distinctive style and sticking to it doesn't apply to Jesca Hoop. ...

Thundercat: Heaven, London

Live Review by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 29 March 2017

The prodigious bassist's songs veer between jazz fusion and intimate, soulful pop – augmented live by detours into wild improvisation ...

Father John Misty: "I get sick pleasure out of reading about how much people hate me"

Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 30 March 2017

JOSH TILLMAN says he has given himself permission to self-destruct again. He talks about turning his latest album, Pure Comedy, into an 'insane' musical — ...

Dua Lipa: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 14 April 2017

"THIS IS CRAZY," asserts Dua Lipa, which may be exaggerating the situation a bit. Being able to sell out the 2,000-capacity Shepherd's Bush Empire will ...

Anderson .Paak: Forum, London

Live Review by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 17 April 2017

.Paak barely pauses for breath in this irresistible sprint through his hard luck/good fortune tracks: this is a man unafraid to break a sweat to ...

Laura Nyro: The passion and soul of Laura Nyro

Retrospective by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 19 April 2017

Twenty years after her death, the rhythmic and shifting life of a songwriter who composed for the stars – but sidestepped celebrity herself – is ...

Bob Dylan: Palladium, London

Live Review by David Bennun, The Guardian, 30 April 2017

Singer who redefined rock'n'roll 50 years ago continues to confound expectations as tour brings him to London Palladium. ...

Ed Sheeran: O2 Arena, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 2 May 2017

His rapping may be workmanlike, his music sentimental, and his wardrobe straight outta Oxfam, but Sheeran's phenomenal rise is justified: he's great live ...

Lou Reed's friends dismiss claim that 'Walk on the Wild Side' is transphobic

Report and Interview by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 20 May 2017

Defence came after Canadian student body apologized for "hurtful" lyrics to the trans community after including the 1972 hit on a playlist at a campus ...

Iron Maiden: Liverpool Arena

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 21 May 2017

Steaming cauldrons and drum riser acrobatics … Bruce Dickinson and co's languid brand of British heavy metal embraces all and shows no signs of rust ...

Chesney Hawkes, Nik Kershaw: Chesney Hawkes and Nik Kershaw: How we made 'The One and Only'

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 22 May 2017

Chesney Hawkes, singer My dad was in the Tremeloes. As a kid, I watched him — Len "Chip" Hawkes — in his leather trousers with his ...

Broken Social Scene: Albert Hall, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 24 May 2017

THE DAY AFTER THE ARENA BOMBING, Manchester city centre is almost deserted and police patrol the streets. Evening sunshine pours through stained glass windows into ...

Richard Dawson: Rough Trade East, London

Live Review by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 7 June 2017

RICHARD DAWSON OPENS his short, early-evening show at Rough Trade East with a traditional folk ballad, 'The Cruel Ship's Carpenter'. A contrary choice, perhaps, for ...

Saint Etienne: 10 of the best

Retrospective by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 7 June 2017

In the early 90s, a trio from south-east England set out to fulfil pop's potential. Nearly 30 years later, they're still making bold, inventive music. ...

Radio Birdman: Brutally honest doco cements legacy of volatile Sydney punk band

Review by Andrew Stafford, The Guardian, 9 June 2017

The '70s band battled poverty, depression and infighting. Descent into the Maelstrom shows how they also changed the face of Australian music. ...

Public Service Broadcasting

Report and Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 17 June 2017

The band's new album, Every Valley, chronicles the destruction of the Welsh coal industry and how its legacy still resonates in these uncertain times. ...

Benjamin Booker: How I turned my personal meltdown into a rallying cry for black America

Profile and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 21 June 2017

He was overweight, abusing drugs and fleeing from his self-harming past. So he took all his problems – and turned them into the sensational new ...

The Maccabees: Alexandra Palace, London

Live Review by David Bennun, The Guardian, 30 June 2017

THERE'S MUCH to be said for perseverance. Seven years ago and two albums in, the Maccabees, if not quite the "landfill indie" of Britain's post-Libertines ...

Richard Dawson: Time travel, BHS and urine – the strange world of folk singer Richard Dawson

Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 30 June 2017

THE NEWCASTLE SINGER meticulously researches the worlds he conjures up in song – and that can mean details of local history or the minutiae of ...

Linkin Park, Stormzy: Linkin Park: O2, London — nu-metal escapees move beyond teen angst

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 4 July 2017

Pop-R&B smashes and an appearance from Stormzy underline just how far the band have come since the dark days of Limp Bizkit ...

Ed Kuepper, Laughing Clowns, The Saints: Saint Ed Kuepper to be honoured with renamed Brisbane park

Report and Interview by Andrew Stafford, The Guardian, 9 July 2017

Push for Brisbane to further celebrate its second seminal band as Ed Kuepper Park named in city's south-west. ...

The Horrors: Omeara, London

Live Review by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 12 July 2017

PREVIEWING THEIR NEW ALBUM V, the gothic hipsters hint at a life beyond the record-nerd crowd, mixing in throbbing electronics to lighter-waving effect. ...

Offa Rex: The Queen of Hearts

Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 13 July 2017

AS BAND-BUILDING chat-up lines go, "We'll be your Albion Dance Band" is certainly niche. ...

Mary J. Blige: Mary J Blige: Kew Gardens, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 17 July 2017

PERFORMING AMID amid a messy divorce, Mary J Blige delivers a hugely emotional set, her voice both racked and silky as she rebukes men for ...

Declan McKenna: What Do You Think About the Car?

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 20 July 2017

WITH A MAJOR LABEL DEAL and a super televised Glastonbury appearance under his belt at the age of 18, Declan McKenna has the youthful self-confidence ...

Horace Andy: Komedia, Brighton

Live Review by David Bennun, The Guardian, 20 July 2017

The reggae veteran has some of his eerieness smoothed out in a brisk and businesslike set – but his vibrato-laden voice remains spellbinding. ...

Tyler, the Creator: Flower Boy

Review by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 21 July 2017

Is the rapper once banned from the UK for homophobic lyrics now coming out? Either way, this heavenly hip-hop record visits multicoloured corners of his ...

Feist: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 28 July 2017

The Canadian indie-folk star transforms the sparse songs of recent album Pleasure into luminous ballads and splenetic blues-rock shredding. ...

Interpol, LCD Soundsystem, The Moldy Peaches, The Strokes, Vampire Weekend, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Lizzy Goodman: Meet Me in the Bathroom – Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City, 2001-2011

Book Review by Barbara Ellen, The Guardian, 8 August 2017

This oral history of New York's musical renaissance is vivid, informative and full of passion. ...

Jen Cloher: Jen Cloher

Review by Andrew Stafford, The Guardian, 10 August 2017

A slow-burning masterpiece from a first-class songwriter ...

Wolf Alice: The Venue, Derby

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 17 August 2017

LAST YEAR, Wolf Alice singer Ellie Rowsell told the Observer that she was reading Michael Azerrad's book Our Band Could Be Your Life, which had ...

Judy Dyble and Andy Lewis: Summer Dancing

Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 24 August 2017

BURROW THROUGH folk-rock's foundations, and you'll find Judy Dyble, an early singer in Fairport Convention, with the Incredible String Band, and the group that burst, ...

Korn: O2 Academy Brixton, London

Live Review by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 24 August 2017

Bombastic, brutish riffs and snarling frontman Jonathan Davis combine to deliver authentic thrills of the skull-cracking kind. ...

Taylor Swift: 'Look What You Made Me Do'

Review by Maura Johnston, The Guardian, 25 August 2017

The pop star's return is full of visceral disses, but it's not clear whether she's playing a role or being herself. ...

Pond (Australia): Pond: Bethnal Green Working Men's Club, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 29 August 2017

IT IS POND'S FATE forever to be discussed in relation to Tame Impala, and it is hardly surprising. This band from Perth, Western Australia, began ...

Niall Horan: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 1 September 2017

FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE SPENT TWO NIGHTS camping on the pavement outside the Shepherd's Bush Empire, 18-year-old India Rain Harrison and her mother, Christine, are ...

Neil Finn: Out of Silence

Review by Andrew Stafford, The Guardian, 2 September 2017

Piece by piece, Neil Finn's Out of Silence comes together in simplistic beauty. ...

Charles Bradley, 1948-2017

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 24 September 2017

American soul singer and songwriter who found fame late in life ...

P.J. Proby, Cliff Richard, Gene Vincent: Jack Good, 1931-2017

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 29 September 2017

Music pioneer who led a revolution in television coverage of pop ...

Terence Trent D'Arby, Sananda Maitreya: Why Terence Trent D'Arby became Sananda Maitreya: "It was that or death"

Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 5 October 2017

In 1987, his debut album saw him hailed as a rival to Michael Jackson and Prince — but then his star crashed and burned. He ...

The Mountain Goats: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 6 October 2017

John Darnielle was on gloriously shambolic form as music's goth capital was treated to a chaotic evening that merged flute solos with satanic worship. The Mountain ...

Destroyer: Ken

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 19 October 2017

Indie polymath moves from hurtling shoegaze to blissed-out electronica. ...

Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Paul McCartney: Rolling Stone founder falls out with biographer over candid life story

Report and Interview by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 22 October 2017

Jann Wenner, whose magazine charted pop music and culture since the '60s, gave Joe Hagan full access but is unhappy with the result, especially "the ...

Jane Weaver: Ramsgate Music Hall

Live Review by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 23 October 2017

CERTAIN ENGLISH female singing voices make a direct grab for the central nervous system. From Sandy Denny to Sarah Nixey, Maddy Prior to Sarah Cracknell ...

AC/DC, The Easybeats: George Young should be remembered as the sonic architect of Australian rock music

Obituary by Andrew Stafford, The Guardian, 24 October 2017

The Easybeats guitarist and AC/DC producer wasn't just a star in his own right, but a behind-the-scenes industry giant. ...

Steely Dan: BluesFest at the O2, London

Live Review by David Bennun, The Guardian, 30 October 2017

Donald Fagen, now sole founding member after the death of Walter Becker, is the vocal grit in the oyster of Steely Dan's sophisticated, frictionless grooves. ...

Paul Gorman: The Story of The Face

Book Review by Andy Beckett, The Guardian, 1 November 2017

This huge, rich book is a celebration not only of the style bible but of London, Manchester and Liverpool in the late 20th century. ...

Robert Plant on Led Zeppelin, Alison Krauss and his endless wanderlust

Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 2 November 2017

IN OUR SERIES where great musicians tell the stories behind memorable records from their back catalogue, the Led Zep frontman discusses his enduring love for ...

Insane Clown Posse: Riverside, Newcastle

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 15 November 2017

CONTROVERSY SEEMS to follow Insane Clown Posse around. The Detroit "horrorcore" duo have seen albums pulled from shelves and their army of fans, the Juggalos, ...

Alice Coltrane: "It's like you're on top of the Alps": Alice Coltrane's spiritual jazz rediscovered

Retrospective by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 17 November 2017

This weekend sees a host of London jazz festival events revisit the work of Alice Coltrane, who broke the rules of jazz to blaze a ...

Liam Gallagher: First Direct Arena, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 4 December 2017

Raw power and energy radiate from the former Oasis frontman as he draws on songs from his solo debut and era-defining classics in a dynamo ...

Carla Bruni: Union Chapel, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 11 December 2017

Playing unusual covers of AC/DC, Depeche Mode and Willie Nelson alongside strong self-penned material, Bruni performs with poise and catwalk swagger. ...

Mastodon: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 11 December 2017

A triumphant blend of brutal nosebleed thrash, furious prog-style epics and multi-part harmonies exhilarates the hardcore faithful. ...

Demi Lovato: O2 Arena, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 2018

Vulnerable but resolute, the singer pursues her "truth" in an affecting and revelatory show. ...

Dolores O'Riordan — obituary

Obituary by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 16 January 2018

LEAD SINGER of the Cranberries whose startling, steely voice enchanted audiences on hits such as 'Linger' and 'Zombie'. ...

Fall Out Boy: Mania

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 19 January 2018

MANY A BAND has stumbled trying to take a cult following with them into the uber-mainstream. However, since re-forming in 2013, Fall Out Boy have ...

Toto: How we made 'Africa'

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 30 January 2018

"If this is a hit," I said, "I'll run naked down Hollywood Boulevard." ...

Architects: Alexandra Palace, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 5 February 2018

EIGHTEEN MONTHS after their guitarist's death, the Brighton metal band turn a ferocious evening into a poignant homage Architects receive an ovation simply for walking on ...

James Bay: Electric Brixton, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 16 March 2018

JAMES BAY'S ASCENT to pop stardom has appeared effortless. Having scooped the Brits Critics' Choice award in 2015, the Hitchin-born singer-songwriter duly saw his debut ...

Jarvis Cocker: Ramsgate Music Hall

Live Review by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 29 March 2018

Moving like a spider and dispensing fruit to the audience, the one-time Pulp frontman's new songs seem some of the best of his career. ...

Macklemore: Victoria Warehouse, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 2 April 2018

WHEN HE WAS A STRUGGLING UNKNOWN, Seattle's Ben Haggerty, AKA Macklemore, pondered being a white rapper: "I give everything I have when I write a ...

5 Seconds of Summer: Heaven, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 6 April 2018

SYDNEY'S GUITAR POPSTERS nakedly woo their young female fans but cut the flirting as they pitch for the crossover adult market. ...

Shame: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 11 April 2018

The young Londoners make no bones about thieving ideas from other bands, but their blend of intense rhythms and sarcastic banter is unique. ...

Kendrick Lamar: From street kid to Pulitzer: why Kendrick Lamar deserves the prize

Profile by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 22 April 2018

The clarity, complexity and honesty of his lyrics alone merit the highest award for the hip-hop star and "greatest rapper alive". The first Pulitzer prize for ...

Natalie Prass: Bush Hall, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 24 April 2018

The Virginia songwriter has added funk and soul to her swooning ballads and '60s pop, fired up by "all the crap that's going on in ...

Tangerine Dream: Union Chapel, London

Live Review by David Stubbs, The Guardian, 25 April 2018

For their first UK show without founder member Edgar Froese, the synth pioneers enlivened their proggy ambience with techno, but still created the same cosmic ...

Eleanor Friedberger: Rebound

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 4 May 2018

IN 2016, ELEANOR Friedberger spent a month in Athens, Greece, ending up in what the half-Greek American describes as an "'80s goth disco" – called ...

Frightened Rabbit: Scott Hutchison, 1981-2018

Obituary by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 May 2018

SINGER AND WRITER of emotionally raw folk-rock songs that attracted a wide following for his band, Frightened Rabbit. ...

Frank Turner: Roundhouse, London — big-hearted anthems and love songs to America

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 14 May 2018

The provocative singer-songwriter balances the profane and the polite with a set that triggers a joyous mass sing-along ...

Courtney Barnett on coping with fame, homophobia – and thinking she still sucks

Profile and Interview by Jenny Valentish, The Guardian, 17 May 2018

The Australian musician has gone from indie darling to global star, but she's still uneasy in the limelight and wracked with self-doubt – even self-hate. ...

Janis Ian: How we made 'At Seventeen'

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 29 May 2018

Janis Ian, singer and songwriter ...

The The: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 6 June 2018

Performing for the first time in 16 years only days after his father’s death, 1980s indie hero Matt Johnson retains a gravel-voiced gravitas ...

Gruff Rhys and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales: Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff

Live Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 12 June 2018

New album Babelsberg was well-suited to the grand occasion, with flavours of Glen Campbell among spacious melodies. ...

Hollywood Vampires: Genting Arena, Birmingham

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 18 June 2018

THE ORIGINAL HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES drinking club included the likes of John Lennon and Harry Nilsson. Today, the band of the same name are a curious ...

Moloko, Roisin Murphy: Róisín Murphy: "Pop's about putting across the primitive parts of yourself"

Retrospective and Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 21 June 2018

The former Moloko singer on the freedom and heartbreak that inspired her favourite tracks from her back catalogue ...

Olivia Chaney: Shelter (Nonesuch)

Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 6 July 2018

FOLK ARTISTS stepping into singer-songwriter territory are often treated with suspicion, as if their egos must be propelling them beyond the small stories of smaller ...

MGMT: Somerset House, London

Live Review by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 10 July 2018

The fake plastic shrubs on stage have more charisma than Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser in this understated, underwhelming set. ...

Ty Segall and White Fence: Joy

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 20 July 2018

CALIFORNIAN CULT GARAGE ROCKER Ty Segall is a textbook example of how to succeed in the modern music industry on one's own terms. Over the ...

Various artists: This Is Trojan 50! review — the label that changed Britain

Review by Lloyd Bradley, The Guardian, 26 July 2018

Trojan's releases introduced the UK to reggae, deejaying, toasting, lovers rock, dancehall — and Five Star's dad. This is an immaculately curated collection of a ...

Aretha Franklin, 1942–2018

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 16 August 2018

Queen of soul whose voice could scald or soothe, and whose talent drew on both sacred and secular traditions ...

Gabrielle: Under My Skin

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 17 August 2018

IT'S 25 YEARS SINCE Gabrielle scored a No 1 with her first single, 'Dreams' ("can come true …"), virtually the story of her mercurial rise ...

The Beasts of Bourbon: Beasts of Bourbon's Spencer P Jones: hellraiser among Australian rock greats

Obituary by Andrew Stafford, The Guardian, 23 August 2018

Some were scared off by the guitarist's snarling delivery and reputation, but you'd be hard pressed to name a bad song. ...

The Lemon Twigs: Go to School

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 24 August 2018

OH HOW WE LAUGHED when these two teenage former child actors emerged from Long Island in 2016. Their garish soft-rock 70s jackets and mullets made ...

Idles: Joy As an Act of Resistance

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 31 August 2018

POP MUSIC TAKES US to some wonderful places in 2018 but, Sleaford Mods aside, doesn't often reflect the sharp end of austerity, post-referendum Britain. But, ...

Ariana Grande: Koko, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 5 September 2018

"WHERE SHOULD WE START?" asks Ariana Grande, intimating that this unadvertised finale of a mini-tour called the Sweetener Sessions is to be a democratic affair. ...

Mac Miller Obituary

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 9 September 2018

American rapper and music producer who confronted his personal history of substance abuse in his lyrics ...

Hozier: Koko, London

Live Review by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 12 September 2018

ONCE A CHORISTER, Andrew Hozier-Byrne ultimately followed in his father's blues footsteps and swapped allegiances to the music that sells its soul to the devil ...

The Cranberries: "She was on a roll": The Cranberries on the last days of Dolores O'Riordan

Interview by Kate Mossman, The Guardian, 13 September 2018

THE LAST TIME the Cranberries guitarist Noel Hogan saw Dolores O'Riordan was in the Limerick hotel where we are now standing, in November 2017. He ...

The Go-Betweens: "It's a widely misunderstood song": How the Go-Betweens made 'Streets of Your Town'

Retrospective and Interview by Andrew Stafford, The Guardian, 19 September 2018

Is the winner of Guardian Australia's Songs of Brisbane poll about Brisbane? Even band members aren't sure. ...

Prince: Piano & a Microphone 1983 — revelatory listen from a colossal talent

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 21 September 2018

THE RECORDINGS on this posthumous Prince album weren't originally intended for release. But they capture Prince Rogers Nelson at the peak of his powers, alone ...

Spiritualized: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 23 September 2018

By turns poignant and defiant, the soulful rock'n'roll wastrel Jason Pierce turns up the feedback and faces down his mortality – flanked by a horn ...

Charles Aznavour – 10 of the best

Guide by Alan Clayson, The Guardian, 2 October 2018

France's leading musical ambassador, who died on Monday, was admired by such disparate entertainers as Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello and sometime Sex Pistol Glen Matlock. ...

Suede: Eventim Apollo, London — more stellar than ever in a tremendous primal celebration

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 14 October 2018

Brooding menace and quasi-paganism replace urban sleaze as a feral Brett Anderson gives it his all in a staggering performance ...

Beth Ditto: "I don't think I can act. I'm just really good at talking."

Profile and Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 24 October 2018

The Gossip frontwoman has started acting, and her first role is a "redneck loud woman" in the new Gus Van Sant film. She talks about ...

Kacey Musgraves: Bristol Hippodrome

Live Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 24 October 2018

Despite a fantastic sound from her band, the Grammy-winning star is awkward on stage as her lyrics are lost in the dry ice. ...

What crisis? Why music journalism is actually healthier than ever

Report and Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 24 October 2018

A steady decline in circulation of the music press, epitomised by the closure of NME this year, has created new opportunities for stalwarts and niche ...

Architects: Holy Hell - Addressing Tragedy With Gravity And Defiance

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 9 November 2018

IN 2016, Brighton metalcore giants Architects were sent reeling when founder guitarist and songwriter, Tom Searle — brother of drummer Dan — died of skin ...

Judge Jules: How we made: Ministry of Sound

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 13 November 2018

"I found a car park in Elephant and Castle, south London, with a roof covered in pigeon poo. I walked in and thought, 'This is ...

Interpol: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 15 November 2018

WITH WARMTH and emotional heft, the New York band continue their journey towards rock's top tier ...

Bring Me the Horizon: Arena Birmingham

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 26 November 2018

AHEAD OF THEIR FORTHCOMING sixth album, the Sheffield pop-metal band provide catharsis but stop short of being true spokesmen for a troubled generation. 'We'll never sell ...

The Good Bad & The Queen: The Good, the Bad & the Queen: North Pier theatre, Blackpool

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 2 December 2018

DAMON ALBARN JABS A FINGER at Brexit Britain's divisions but the show turns bawdily riotous and, with the help of a male voice choir, inspirational Away ...

Wooden Shjips: V

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 3 December 2018

THIS TIME LAST YEAR, Wooden Shjips were working on a "summer record", but external events impinged on the creative process. There was America's climate of ...

The Cardigans: Manchester Apollo

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 4 December 2018

The guitar-pop band reconvene to play their biggest-selling album, Gran Turismo — but shine brightest when they leave its darkness behind. ...

David Cavanagh: The writer who saw the musicians behind the music

Comment by John Harris, The Guardian, 31 December 2018

With his acute observations on David Bowie, Paul Weller and Radiohead, Cavanagh combined a passion for music with an eye for the small details of ...

Nitzer Ebb: The return of pop perverts Nitzer Ebb

Retrospective and Interview by Luke Turner, The Guardian, 3 January 2019

Loud, rude and flirting with fascistic imagery, Nitzer Ebb took synth-pop and sexual deviance to working class Essex. Three decades on, they're back – now ...

Dave Laing, 1947-2019

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 14 January 2019

Music writer, rock correspondent and academic who understood and communicated the cultural worth of pop. ...

Phil Collins: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

Live Review by Andrew Stafford, The Guardian, 20 January 2019

A notable hobble and diminished vocal range don't detract from an enjoyable night of nostalgia backed by a crowd that have been waiting for this ...

Bring Me the Horizon: Amo

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 25 January 2019

"It ain't heavy metal, but that's alright"  ...

Snow Patrol: O2 Arena, London – drifting along in a clinical quest for love

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 27 January 2019

SNOW PATROL HAVE BEEN AWAY but absence has not dimmed their mass appeal. This first tour for seven years, in support of last year's moderately ...

Davido: O2 Arena, London — Afrobeats' alpha male takes Nigeria to the world

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 28 January 2019

Aided by Idris Elba and Popcaan, the Nigerian singer underlines his global credentials by tying together US rap and African pop ...

James Ingram, 1952-2019

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 30 January 2019

WHEN HE topped the US singles chart in 1990 with 'I Don't Have the Heart', it was the first time James Ingram had scored a ...

The Residents — American dreams turned to grotesque nightmares

Live Review by Luke Turner, The Guardian, 5 February 2019

The anonymous, long-serving denizens of the post-hippy underground are joined by Mother Teresa and John Wayne for a bizarre take on vaudeville ...

The Struts: Stylus, Leeds

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 18 February 2019

IF RAMI Malek hadn't landed the part of Freddie Mercury in the Bohemian Rhapsody film, it should surely have gone to Luke Spiller. The Struts' ...

Our Native Daughters: Songs of Our Native Daughters

Review by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 21 February 2019

FOUR BLACK FEMALE BANJO PLAYERS wrestling with gender, race, slavery, sexual assault and the domination of the male gaze might make an admirable-if-arduous prospect, but ...

Rhiannon Giddens: "I see this album as part of a movement to reclaim black female history."

Review and Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 24 February 2019

The Grammy-winning artist's collaborative project Songs of Our Native Daughters puts poems and narratives about slavery to music. ...

Mark Hollis, Talk Talk: A sacred voice: Mark Hollis sang the English gospel

Comment by Graeme Thomson, The Guardian, 26 February 2019

Talk Talk began as '80s synth-pop stalwarts, but Hollis developed not only what became known as post-rock, but his own transcendent music. ...

Billie Eilish: Academy, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 28 February 2019

A teenage talent not quite eclipsed by screaming fans: the LA singer had her young audience shouting her empowering lyrics as she worked the room ...

The Struts: Bristolian Rhapsody: How the Struts put the pout back in pop

Profile and Interview by Paul Moody, The Guardian, 5 March 2019

He's the leotard-clad double of Freddie Mercury with the showboating to match. Struts frontman Luke Spiller reveals how he owes it all to Justin Hawkins ...

Foals: Gorilla, Manchester

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 5 March 2019

Ahead of their fifth album, Yannis Philippakis and co. blend the avant garde with football-terrace energy. ...

Foals: Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part I

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 8 March 2019

Foals have found a new zip to their grooves: this is a fitting soundtrack for a world mired in uncertainty ...

Scott Walker: From the sun lounger to the electric chair: Scott Walker's experimental genius

Comment by Rob Young, The Guardian, 26 March 2019

Fired up by Noam Chomsky in the late 1970s, the musician's "late style" became a forbidding avant-garde zone that fearlessly engaged the modern world. ...

Bill Medley, Jennifer Warnes: How we made Dirty Dancing's '(I've Had) The Time of My Life'

Interview by Henry Yates, The Guardian, 9 April 2019

Franke Previte, co-songwriter: ...

Katia et Marielle Labèque, Thom Yorke: Thom Yorke, Katia and Marielle Labèques: Barbican, London

Live Review by John Lewis, The Guardian, 10 April 2019

Marielle and Katia Labèque lead a hypnotic programme that included Max Richter, The National’s Bryce Dessner and Timo Andres. ...

Anderson .Paak: "People are like – Damn! How are you not on crack cocaine right now?"

Profile and Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 13 April 2019

The soul and funk innovator on his turbulent childhood, subverting "morose" hip-hop and why he's pro-Kanye. ...

Drake review: O2, London

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 13 April 2019

Dazzling visuals have no story to tell in a disjointed set with killer hits – and money – to burn. ...

Iggy Pop: Opera House, Sydney

Live Review by Andrew Stafford, The Guardian, 16 April 2019

That supple physique can't move quite like it used to, but the 71-year-old's voice is in unbelievably good shape. ...

Iggy Pop: Sydney Opera House

Live Review by Andrew Stafford, The Guardian, 16 April 2019

Sydney Opera House: That supple physique can't move quite like it used to, but 71-year-old's voice is in unbelievably good shape ...

The Stone Roses looked like every lad I'd known and filled me with northern pride

Comment by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 1 May 2019

The Mancunian band released their debut album 30 years ago this week, giving north-west teenagers music to call their own. ...

Rhiannon Giddens With Francesco Turrisi: There Is No Other

Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 3 May 2019

FOLK MUSIC SHOULDN'T HAVE STARS, but Rhiannon Giddens' illuminating charge is hard to ignore. This February, she led the brilliant Our Native Daughters project, collaborating ...

Marina and the Diamonds: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 7 May 2019

THE FAMILY IS OUT FOR Marina Diamandis tonight — not just the blood relatives, a dozen of whom have turned out to cheer on pop's ...

Carly Rae Jepsen: "I'm more confident in my weirdness now"

Interview by Kate Mossman, The Guardian, 12 May 2019

WHEN CARLY RAE Jepsen wrote 'Call Me Maybe', Billboard's "greatest chorus of the 21st century", she was aiming for a sense of "childish excitement". It's ...

Wheatus: How We Made 'Teenage Dirtbag'

Interview by Henry Yates, The Guardian, 22 May 2019

Author's note: This is the original version of the piece submitted to the Guardian.   ...

Baroness: Gold & Grey – ambitious rockers go beyond metal

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 14 June 2019

BARONESS HAVE CERTAINLY paid their dues. A bad 2012 bus crash, resulting in traumatic injuries and the departure of three members, played havoc with the ...

The Chills: Martin Phillipps' triumph and tragedy told with extraordinary candour

Film/DVD/TV Review by Andrew Stafford, The Guardian, 14 June 2019

THE INDEPENDENT scene that emerged from Dunedin, New Zealand, in the early 1980s had all the strange qualities musical trainspotters around the world associate with ...

Black Midi: One to Watch: Black Midi

Profile by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 22 June 2019

This enigmatic young London four-piece are the most exciting new guitar band in Britain. ...

The Eagles: Eagles: Wembley Stadium

Live Review by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 24 June 2019

Their split was so severe that they titled their by-no-means-inevitable 1994 reunion album Hell Freezes Over, but now it seems not even the death of ...

Marianne Faithfull, Tom Jones, The Nashville Teens, The Rolling Stones, Them: Decca Records in 1964: The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Tom Jones and the British pop explosion

Retrospective by Jon Savage, The Guardian, 3 July 2019

To celebrate 90 years of Decca Records, a new book about the label's history is being released. In this exclusive extract, renowned music critic Jon Savage ...

Doves: Somerset House, London

Live Review by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 17 July 2019

INITIALLY UNDERCUT by weedy sound, the Mancunian trio become muscular and euphoric in this greatest hits set. ...

The Celibate Rifles: Celibate Rifles star Damien Lovelock packed multiple lifetimes into his 65 years

Obituary by Andrew Stafford, The Guardian, 2 August 2019

The punk rocker, author, raconteur and health guru, who has died from cancer, was a big man with a big voice and a hell of ...

Ty Segall: First Taste

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 2 August 2019

OVER THE LAST 11 YEARS, Californian cult garage rocker Segall has released 13 solo albums, collaborated with Tim Presley on last year's excellent Joy, played ...

The Rolling Stones: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ

Live Review by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 6 August 2019

With Mick Jagger's recent heart operation clearly a success, the Stones sound better than they have in years. ...

Mel B: Grand Theatre, Leeds - A Brutally Honest Evening

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 26 August 2019

THIS SHOW IS BILLED AS "brutally honest" so let's be brutally honest. Mel B's audience isn't full – although neither is it the sales disaster ...

Aldous Harding: Metro, Sydney

Live Review by Andrew Stafford, The Guardian, 27 August 2019

Watching the folk singer perform is to be touched by something deeply human and oddly universal. ...

Ben Folds: "I dreaded that song coming out": Ben Folds on 'Brick', William Shatner and hitting rock bottom

Interview by Andrew Stafford, The Guardian, 29 August 2019

In Australia with his new memoir, the 'songwriting sociopath' discusses creativity and what Shatner taught him about coolness: 'He just does not give a shit' ...

Dorris Henderson, John Renbourn: Tangled Up in Blues: John Renbourn & Dorris Henderson – the '60s

Film/DVD/TV Review by Colin Harper, The Guardian, October 2019

BY THE TIME of his fourth solo album, The Lady and the Unicorn (1970), John Renbourn was living in a thatched cottage in Hampshire and, ...

The New Lost City Ramblers: John Cohen, 1932-2019

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 14 October 2019

Film-maker, photographer, folk music revivalist and founder member of the New Lost City Ramblers ...

Nick Tosches, 1949-2019

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 23 October 2019

American writer who epitomised the rackety world of the 1960s rock press and went on to become a successful biographer ...

Tricky: Queen Elizabeth Hall, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 27 October 2019

After a year of tragedy, the spotlight-shy producer stays in the shadows during this erratic yet utterly mesmerising set. ...

Michael Kiwanuka: Kiwanuka

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 1 November 2019

The soulful singer's third LP is timeless and contemporary at the same time, with shades of everything from What's Going On to Screamadelica. ...

Lil Peep: Everybody's Everything

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 15 November 2019

LIL PEEP'S DEATH from a drugs overdose in 2017 hasn't stopped a thriving industry continuing in the emo rapper's wake. Last year's Come Over When ...

Aldous Harding: The strange world of Aldous Harding

Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 17 November 2019

THE NEW ZEALANDER can be an unnerving presence. She's also one of the most original songwriters around. She talks about Meat Loaf, Apocalypse Now … and ...

Chuck Berry, Lulu, Ronnie Wood: Ronnie Wood: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 22 November 2019

Lulu and Imelda May bring powerhouse guest vocals but the Rolling Stone can't match up in this mediocre homage. ...

Snow Patrol: How they made 'Run'

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 26 November 2019

"I WENT ON a three-day bender in Glasgow and woke up blind in one eye with teeth missing. After I recovered, songs started pouring out ...

The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur: "I didn't want it to be an autopsy": the podcast exploring Biggie and Tupac's murders

Report and Interview by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 7 December 2019

A new series of Slow Burn re-examines the deaths of two of music's biggest stars. "We still haven't had closure," says its host. ...

Roxette: 'It Must Have Been Love': Roxette's power ballad is a masterpiece of pain

Essay by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 10 December 2019

By following the Motown blueprint of blending ecstatic music with agonised lyrics, Roxette created the ultimate breakup song — and the late Marie Fredriksson delivered ...

Roxette: Marie Fredriksson obituary

Obituary by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 December 2019

COMMANDING FEMALE VOCALISTS were never more popular than in the late 1980s, and for a time Marie Fredriksson, whose voice could blister paint or seduce ...

James Blunt: How we made 'You're Beautiful'

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 14 January 2020

'It's portrayed as a romantic song but it's actually a bit creepy. It's about a guy — me — stalking someone else's girlfriend while high' ...

Marc Almond: Royal Festival Hall, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 11 February 2020

Singing of Italian horror films and Hollywood cemeteries, Almond is on magnificently melodramatic form. ...

Tame Impala: The Slow Rush

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 14 February 2020

Perth's disco dork returns after a four-year hiatus with an album that finds existential meaning in genre-surfing dance music ...

Andrew Weatherall, 1963-2020

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 18 February 2020

THE LIST OF ANDREW WEATHERALL'S achievements as DJ, musician, songwriter, producer and remixer could fill a hefty volume. His career took him from working as ...

These New Puritans: Barbican, London

Live Review by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 24 February 2020

THE DUO'S VAST SONIC CANVASES, here expanded with a 16-piece ensemble, are ambitious and cinematic but need focus. ...

Sleater-Kinney: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 27 February 2020

THEY STILL DO PUNK ROCK better than anyone, but the veteran US band have ably stepped into icy electronics, disco and offbeat pop. ...

Michael Kiwanuka: O2 Academy, Birmingham

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 2 March 2020

The two-time Brit nominee rejects a brash victory lap in favour of a deep dive into his socially conscious hit album ...

Alanis Morissette: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London


Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 5 March 2020

Morissette's acoustic outing for her smash-hit album's anniversary proves these songs are as lacerating as ever ...

Jamie Cullum: Barbican, York

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 12 March 2020

Although some routines are getting well-worn, Cullum hops between hip-hop, crooning and one-liners with aplomb ...

Rick Astley, Stock Aitken Waterman: Rick Astley: How we made 'Never Gonna Give You Up'

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 23 March 2020

"One day I was making the tea for Bananarama. The next I was at No 1." ...

Lewis Capaldi: Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 26 March 2020

With his self-deprecating wit and blue-eyed soul, the young Scots chart-topper delights with a celebratory show mined from undiluted misery. ...

Malcolm McLaren: Paul Gorman: The Life and Times of Malcolm McLaren

Book Review by Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian, 6 April 2020

Huckster, visionary — or a bit of both? An exhaustive new biography chases down the elusive punk promoter  ...

Clannad: How Clannad made 'Theme from Harry's Game'

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 13 April 2020

"The chorus comes from ancient Irish music. Some people thought I was singing, 'On the dole, all day'" ...

Fiona Apple: Fetch the Bolt Cutters

Review by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 17 April 2020

The unhurried artist's first studio album in eight years is astonishing, intimate and demonstrates a refusal to be silenced ...

Discharge, GBH: 'They made Sex Pistols sound like Take That': the fury of Midlands punk

Profile and Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 21 April 2020

Discharge, GBH and other scrappy bands rose up out of a scene where gigs were like wars. Clay Records' leading lights recall how technique came ...

XTC: How we made 'Making Plans for Nigel'

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 27 April 2020

"British Steel responded by rounding up a lot of workers called Nigel and getting them to say their jobs were actually great." ...

Mark Lanegan: "Heroin stopped me dying of alcoholism"

Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 30 April 2020

His guilt over Kurt Cobain's death, his scrap with Liam Gallagher, his year getting clean ... the former Screaming Trees frontman reveals why writing his ...

Blake Mills: Mutable Set

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 8 May 2020

WITH HIS FOURTH solo album the acclaimed producer faces down the confusion of modern life with intoxicating calm. ...

Nubya Garcia, Shabaka Hutchings, Nérija, SEED Ensemble, Sons of Kemet, Emma-Jean Thackray, The Comet is Coming: Add some township jive! How London's jazz scene set itself apart

Profile and Interview by John Lewis, The Guardian, 27 May 2020

The city's young jazz community has flourished by drawing on everything from hip-hop to calypso and highlife, creating a unique cosmopolitan sound. ...

Bonnie Pointer, The Pointer Sisters: Bonnie Pointer, 1950-2020

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 10 June 2020

"I'M THE KIND OF PERSON who likes to do adventurous, new things," said the singer Bonnie Pointer in 1979. "It's got to be a challenge ...

Madonna: Where to start in her back catalogue

Guide by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 17 June 2020

In Listener's digest, we help you explore the work of great artists. Next: how the 1980s material girl transformed herself into a mature millennial pop ...

Nadine Shah

Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 23 July 2020

The musician talks about missing Glastonbury, being inspired by Abigail's Party and turning the tables on music critics. ...

Fontaines D.C.: A Night at Montrose, Dublin

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 8 August 2020

The Dublin five-piece launch their brilliant second album with an intense, pre-recorded livestream event and bonus commentary. ...

It's Immaterial: "We got there!" Cult pop band It's Immaterial back after 27 years

Interview by Wyndham Wallace, The Guardian, 15 September 2020

The literate Liverpudlians had a one-off hit with 'Driving Away from Home' in 1986, but perfectionism and tragedy prevented their third album coming out until ...

Fleet Foxes: "You can fake a guitar solo. You can't fake your voice"

Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 23 September 2020

Back with a warm new album, Robin Pecknold talks about how the pandemic cured his anxiety – and how the Beach Boys' golden falsettos changed ...

Helen Reddy, 1941-2020

Obituary by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 30 September 2020

Australian singer who enjoyed huge success with her 1972 feminist anthem 'I Am Woman' ...

Working Men's Club: Working Men's Club (Heavenly)

Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 2 October 2020

The West Yorkshire band take the stark electronics of the post-punk scene and warm them with Detroit techno and Italian house – while addressing Andrew ...

Demi Lovato has made the most damning protest song of the Trump era

Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 15 October 2020

HOW DO YOU SOLVE a problem like Donald? Like Nixon, Reagan and Thatcher before him, President Trump has been a great catalyst for protest in ...

Faithless: How we made 'Insomnia'

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 19 October 2020

"MTV FORCED US to change the first line. It was originally: I only smoke weed when I need to" ...

Oneohtrix Point Never: the warped genius behind Uncut Gems's spine-chilling score

Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 27 October 2020

His soundtrack shredded audiences' nerves. Now producer Daniel Lopatin is using radio to bring Trump's America together. ...

AC/DC: "Malcolm was there in the studio and we all knew it"

Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 14 November 2020

The rock'n'roll heroes return after four years and the death of founding guitarist Malcolm Young with a new album and a mission to reverse how ...

Enemies of the sheeple: why do pop stars fall for conspiracy theories?

Comment by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 30 November 2020

From Madonna to Ian Brown, musicians seem to be drawn to wild theories about JFK and 5G. There's a reason for that… ...

Roland Gift: "I went back to where being pretty didn't matter"

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 3 December 2020

He was "the first black punk in Hull" and was named one of the world's 50 most beautiful people. But the singer turned his back ...

MF Doom: obituary

Obituary by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 1 January 2021

A hip-hop genius who built his own universe of poetry ...

Yvette Janine Jackson: Freedom (Fridman Gallery)

Review by John Lewis, The Guardian, 15 January 2021

The composer’s two new works, exploring slavery and homophobia, are like immersive non-visual films ...

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings: All the Good Times

Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 19 February 2021

THE PANDEMIC HANGS HEAVY in the long-term duo's first album to share joint billing, and thrives when Welch leads. ...

Sean Paul's teenage obsessions: "My Coventry grandmother cooked me bubble and squeak"

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 11 March 2021

Ahead of two new albums this spring, the dancehall superstar recalls the poignancy of his first love, and how water polo took his mind off ...

The Fratellis: how we made 'Chelsea Dagger'

Retrospective and Interview by Henry Yates, The Guardian, 29 March 2021

"My girlfriend was a burlesque dancer who used the name Chelsea Dagger. It was a play on Britney Spears." ...

The Offspring: Platinum pop-punks the Offspring: "We're outcasts among outcasts"

Retrospective and Interview by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 14 April 2021

THEY SCORED A UK NO 1 single and the biggest-selling independent album ever. Thirty-seven years into their career, the California band ponder middle-aged sex — ...

Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi: They're Calling Me Home

Review by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 16 April 2021

RHIANNON GIDDENS' NEW ALBUM with Francesco Turrisi, her partner in life as well as music, explores two subjects that occupied them (and, frankly, the rest ...

Bob Koester, 1932-2023

Obituary by Tony Russell, The Guardian, 28 May 2021

Owner of Chicago's influential Jazz Record Mart and Delmark label, which recorded many of the city's blues greats ...

Crowded House: Dreamers Are Waiting

Review by Andrew Stafford, The Guardian, 3 June 2021

The band's first album since 2010 is full of beautiful details and deceptive tonal shifts – a slow burn but worth the effort ...

Celeste: Union Chapel

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 8 July 2021

The soul-jazz star's sold-out performance is unabashedly mainstream, but has real emotional heft. ...

Rose Royce: How we made 'Car Wash'

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 12 July 2021

"THIS WILL never be a hit, we told each other — we are literally singing about a car wash!" ...

The 5th Dimension, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King: Stevie, Gladys, Nina … Summer of Soul uncovers a festival greater than Woodstock

Retrospective and Interview by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 15 July 2021

As the US boiled with violence, 1969's Harlem cultural festival nourished spirits with soul, jazz and gospel. Now, Questlove has turned lost footage of it ...

Jimmy Cliff: The return of Jimmy Cliff: 'Rebel spirit is still in the Jamaican people'

Retrospective and Interview by Lloyd Bradley, The Guardian, 6 August 2021

As he releases new music at the age of 77, one of reggae's foundational figures charts his astonishing life in music, via swinging London, Brazilian ...

Liars: "To dive into yourself is scary": the anxiety and awesome alt-rock of Liars

Interview by Luke Turner, The Guardian, 10 August 2021

FOR 20 YEARS, Angus Andrew has made Liars one of rock's most interesting, slippery acts — and by microdosing drugs to help understand his fears, ...

Don Everly, 1937-2021

Obituary by Michael Gray, The Guardian, 22 August 2021

Half of the Everly Brothers, the famous US pop duo known for hits such as 'Bye Bye Love', 'Wake Up Little Susie' and 'Cathy's Clown' ...

Diane Warren: "I'm a one in a billion": how Diane Warren penned windswept power ballads for Cher, Gaga and Dion

Interview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 26 August 2021

SHE'S THE QUEEN of the power ballad mega hit – and has even written songs for Biden, Harris and Ringo Starr. Now the world's most ...

Rick James: "There's a lot to unpack": the dark, difficult life of Rick James

Retrospective by Jim Farber, The Guardian, 2 September 2021

In a new documentary, the defining funk artist's ups and many downs are examined with a clear eye and a lack of sugar-coating. ...

Amyl and the Sniffers: Comfort to Me

Review by Andrew Stafford, The Guardian, 10 September 2021

Frontwoman Amy Taylor crackles like a live wire with too much current in Melbourne punk band's electric second album. ...

The Boo Radleys: "It seemed to capture a wave": How the Boo Radleys made 'Wake Up Boo!'

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 13 September 2021

"MARTIN WROTE THE SONG while watching The Big Breakfast on acid. Then, when we recorded the song in Wales, there was a night when some ...

The Rolling Stones: Rolling Stones: The Dome at America's Center, St. Louis

Live Review by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 27 September 2021

The veteran rockers return to the road with an emotional tribute to their long-time drummer and a reinvigorated sense of purpose. ...

Fontaines D.C.: University of Liverpool

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 3 October 2021

The Dubliners burst brilliantly back on stage with literary-hearted rock that's up there with the Smiths or the Pogues ...

Billy Bragg: "Boris was trolling me the whole time. We've got a wind-up merchant as PM."

Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 29 October 2021

As the bard of Barking tours a new album, he reflects on modern politics, his scraps with the Daily Mail and why he could do ...

Courtney Barnett on being forced to stop: "I felt myself opening up in a different way"

Interview by Andrew Stafford, The Guardian, 5 November 2021

A breakup, a pandemic and a homecoming left the singer with time to sit and think. Her new album radiates the calmness and kindness she ...

Sam Fender: Utilita Arena, Newcastle

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 19 November 2021

A RAPTUROUS CROWD offer a hero's welcome to the singer whose epic anthems deliver eeriness, intimacy and utter exhilaration ...

Billie Eilish: "I've gotten a lot more proud of who I am"

Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 4 December 2021

The pop superstar on her extraordinary year — the Bond theme, that Vogue cover, the success of her second album — and hosting Saturday Night ...

Lady Gaga: Lady Gucci is just the latest guise of the ever transmutable Lady Gaga

Profile by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 8 December 2021

Pop singer, activist, art installation, actor, Stefani Germanotta has taken on many faces ...

David Lasley, 1947–2021

Obituary by Adam Sweeting, The Guardian, 15 December 2021

Singer-songwriter whose four-octave vocal range made him one of the most sought after backing singers in American music ...

Idles: O2 Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 22 January 2022

Galvanised by newly sober-sharp Joe Talbot, the impassioned Bristol band aim wider, higher and louder in a thrilling showcase of their latest album, Crawler. ...

Mark Lanegan defied darkness to become one of his generation's most soulful singers

Obituary by Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 23 February 2022

ONCE PRIMED TO SELF-DESTRUCT, Lanegan found salvation and creative freedom in collaborations that brought out the nuances of his uniquely dignified voice. ...

"My aim was Oyé, not Glastonbury": Liverpool's beloved African music festival turns 30

Retrospective and Interview by Patrick Clarke, The Guardian, 14 March 2022

Africa Oyé attracts the world's biggest African artists, inspires local Black musicians and remains free to all. So what next for the community-minded festival that ...

Robert Fripp, King Crimson: "A force entirely of itself": Robert Fripp on the difficult legacy of King Crimson

Report and Interview by Jim Farber, The Guardian, 16 March 2022

The complicated and fractious history of the prog-rock titans is explored in revealing new documentary In the Court of the Crimson King. ...

Vashti Bunyan: "My voice made me think of sorrow. I didn't even sing to my children"

Retrospective and Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 18 March 2022

GROOMED TO BE A 60S POP STAR, the singer instead headed for the Hebrides in a horse-drawn cart and then withdrew from music for 30 ...

Griff: Chalk, Brighton

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 21 March 2022

After the baffling flop of her single 'Black Hole', the pop singer-songwriter is still ready to reach for the stars in this breezy, funny show ...

The Psychedelic Furs: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 6 April 2022

Frontman Richard Butler is now 65, but his nicotine rasp remains a thing of wonder and the band's pop smarts mean they have aged well ...

Chris Bailey, The Saints: Chris Bailey of the Saints: the voice that tore across the world, and changed the face of Brisbane

Comment by Andrew Stafford, The Guardian, 11 April 2022

David Malouf said poetry could never occur in Brisbane in the '70s and '80s. The Saints proved otherwise – and revolutionised the music industry. ...

The Prodigy: Mountford Hall, Liverpool

Live Review by Patrick Clarke, The Guardian, 15 July 2022

The late vocalist is etched in lasers for a comeback show that proves the fiery veterans are still a source of euphoria ...

The Libertines: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 24 July 2022

Carl Barât and Pete Doherty produce some strong moments but without their youthful excitement it’s a rickety affair that wasn’t built for a huge venue. ...

The Mars Volta: "The most revolutionary thing we could do was to make a pop record."

Report and Interview by John Doran, The Guardian, 12 August 2022

After their 2013 split left fans in shock, Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodríguez-López reveal how the Church of Scientology drove them apart – and inspired ...

Bret McKenzie, Flight of the Conchords: "Trying not to be funny was a challenge": Flight of the Conchords' Bret McKenzie on his serious solo debut

Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 20 August 2022

He has written duets for man and Muppet, parodied Morrissey in The Simpsons, and become Hollywood's go-to for bringing "heart" to the movies. Now he's ...

Harry Styles: Harry's House

Review by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 7 September 2022

Harry Styles's high-end lockdown album is surprisingly of a piece with other longlisted albums by artists as distinct as Joy Crookes and Gwenno ...

Jann Wenner on Rolling Stone: "Some reviews were just insufferably nasty"

Interview by Jim Farber, The Guardian, 16 September 2022

The founder of the legendary magazine discusses his rise to the top, navigating famous friendships and hiding his sexuality ...

Wet Leg: O2 Kentish Town Forum, London

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 24 November 2022

Despite having fans in Iggy Pop and Barack Obama, the Isle of Wight duo are sticking with small venues for now – and enlivening them ...

Kingsize Taylor, 1939-2023

Obituary by Spencer Leigh, The Guardian, 11 January 2023

Singer and guitarist with the Dominoes, Merseybeat rivals to the Beatles in the early 1960s ...

John Lennon, Yoko Ono: "People will find out": May Pang on her time with John Lennon and Yoko Ono

Interview by Jim Farber, The Guardian, 5 April 2023

In a new documentary, the woman who went from assistant to lover of the ex-Beatle talks about her side of a misunderstood story ...

People's behaviour at music gigs is getting worse. I have three rules to solve that

Comment by Simon Price, The Guardian, 14 September 2023

Live shows should allow for self-expression, catharsis and abandon. It's the boorishness and selfishness that need to stop ...

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