Viagra Boys aren’t here to offer you a boost, exactly, despite their brisk, weaponised anthems and raucous live shows. The Swedish band dwell in life’s grubby underbelly. They like it there: their 2018 debut album is called ‘Street Worms’,...
It's almost a year since live music went away but what didn't stop in 2020 was the creative output of thousands of young, talented musicians from all around Europe. Every January, ESNS Festival – AKA Eurosonic Noorderslag – takes...
When household names lose their heroes and timelines become awash with effusive eulogies, it’s hard for fallen figures not to take on mythical status. MF DOOM – whose untimely death was announced at the very end of a year...
We have unwillingly accepted live streams as the best opportunity to see performed music while the pandemic endures. While some offer a very personal experience, the reality is that none really replicate the social dimension of live culture. “Let's...
Beware of celebrities waving their vegan credentials like a badge of honour... they come in many guises.
For some, like dedicated animal rights campaigner Paul McCartney, the decision is ethical. For others, embracing a plant-based diet is more about nutrition...
Latest stats say that vinyl is having a moment. We know, we know – you read this story last year. And the year before that. But in 2020, sales of vinyl were the highest since the glory days of...
When the coronavirus outbreak first spread to the west, one of the first moments that foreshadowed the year to come was a festival cancellation. Seven days before hundreds of thousands of people descended on Austin, Texas, SXSW’s organisers announced...
For our favourite musicians, 2020 has been a year of empty calendars, livestreams, uncertainty and anxiety. With the indefinite absence of touring creating financial insecurity and a government preferring artists to retrain in "cyber" than to adequately support them,...
Maybe it’s the remnants of my untapped ‘Gifted & Talented’ scheme potential talking, but I’ve always had a lot of time for precociously talented kids. From cheering on my favourite Child Genius contestants to shedding the odd tear during the...
Given everything that happened throughout 2020, at times, it was easier to digest bite-sized nuggets of new music than a full-length effort. Lucky us, then, that this year provided many compact releases that introduced a legion of rising, exciting...