Originally released in 1995, Alice In Chains’ self-titled album is a dark and introspective work that marked the band’s final studio effort with vocalist Layne Staley. The record blends heavy, sludgy riffs with haunting melodies and acoustic textures, creating a sound that is both aggressive and deeply melancholic. This classic album gets a vinyl reissue…
We kick off this week’s hot six with Woman of Faces, the second studio album from Celeste. Stemming from the slow unravelling of a romantic relationship and her determination to emerge from the other side triumphant, this is a body of work born out of pain but also a steadfast resilience to keep moving forward,…
Memento Mori: Mexico City is a live recording of over two hours of music from Depeche Mode’s three sold-out concerts at the legendary Foro Sol Stadium in Mexico City in September 2023, plus 4 previously unreleased studio recordings from the Memento Mori sessions. The vinyl package includes the live album and bonus tracks on four…
The first of this week’s firecrackers comes from The Mountain Goats, led by singer-songwriter John Darnielle, who have built a prolific and influential career since the early 1990s, earning a loyal following with their storytelling and literary lyricism. Through This Fire Across from Peter Balkan expands the band’s sound with lush orchestration and welcoming arrangements…
Courtney Marie Andrews has long been celebrated as an artist who challenges herself and who finds new interplays of folk and americana. Also a vivid poet and accomplished painter, she brings a multidisciplinary richness to her work that shines throughout her ninth studio album. Valentine features complete in-studio performances that prize raw performance rather…
As it is the anniversary of me taking over the shop week next week, the pick of the week’s releases are ones I am interested in. My shop, my rules! My first pick is the 8th studio album from Lunatic Soul, the solo project of Riverside’s main composer and vocalist/bassist Mariusz Duda. The World Under…
The Demise of Planet X boasts Sleaford Mods’s most varied and expressive musical approach yet and charts, critiques and satirises our times, while offering a universal cry of anger and release of energy that pushes against the encroaching cultural darkness. The album, which features a rare guest appearance from former Life Without Buildings frontwoman Sue…
On to this week’s smashers! After years of writing, wandering and starting over, The Lemonheads return with Love Chant: a bold, melodic reaffirmation of one of alternative rock’s most distinctive voices. Evan Dando’s relocation to Brazil, where much of the album was recorded, has offered a chance to reset, reconnect and finally bring these songs…
These Frightening Machines was written over the course of a year as Katherine Priddy made the transition from her 20s to her 30s, and follows The Pendulum Swing, which firmly established her as one of the most exciting artists on the contemporary British music scene. Produced by Rob Ellis (PJ Harvey, Anna Calvi, Bat for…
We kick off this week’s picks with Deadbeat, on which Kevin Parker sculpts a collection of wickedly potent club-psych explorations as a vehicle for some of his most direct, brain-wormy songwriting to date, recasting Tame Impala as a kind of future-primitive rave act in the process. Deadbeat sounds like the work of an artist with…