Back catalogue: Indie/Alternative

Review: Described by their label, Dais, as "a stirring new chapter" in their musical story, 'An object of Motion' has its roots in a coastal break main man Deb Demure made back in 2021. It was material recorded there, largely using a vintage, bowl-shaped 12-string guitar, that formed the basis of the four-track mini-album. These recordings were then expanded on with help from collaborators Rachel Goswell (Slowdive), Justin Meldal-Johnsen and Ben Greenberg. It's a decidedly psychedelic set all told, with Demure and company blurring the boundaries between neo-folk, psychedelia, the Cure, shoegaze and the sort of saucer-eyed, turn-of-the-90s bagginess associated with the Stone Roses. Most impressive of all, though, is 'Yield To Force', an undeniably cosmic, layered and effects-laden instrumental that ebbs and flows over 15 magical minutes.

Review: AD 2022: Live In Manchester is the long overdue live album from seminal homegrown punk legends The Damned, who announced plans in 2020 to undertake a reunion tour with the original line up of Dave Vanian (vocals), Brian James (guitar), Captain Sensible (bass), and Rat Scabies (drums), but naturally had to put things on hold due to the pandemic. Finally making good on their promise and reuniting for the first time in over four decades to descend upon Manchester's O2 Apollo in November 2022 for an immense set of 21 tracks taken from the band's first two (and only) albums to ever feature the classic OG line up; Damned Damned Damned and Music For Pleasure, both initially released in 1977, feast your ears on a true fly-on-the-wall experience if you were one of the many miserable millions to not experience such an iconic rarity in person that night.

Review: When Marie Davidson announced last year that she would be, "retiring from club music", many wondered what she'd do next. Renegade Breakdown, her first album recorded with a full band (L'Oeuil Nu), answers that question. It sees the Canadian artist and her new collaborators deliver suitably arresting, personal and ear-catching songs built on mixing and matching a surprisingly wide variety of musical inspirations, from Blondie, classic disco and mutilated heavy metal guitars, to Kraftwerk, Billie Holliday, Fleetwood Mac and Daft Punk. It's a big shift for the previously highly experimental artist, but thanks to her skill as both a a producer and performer, one that works magnificently well.

Review: It's somewhat surprising to hear that this is Kim Deal's debut solo album, what with fellow college rock and grunge legends of the late 80s and 90s - such as her former Pixies bandmate Black Francis, Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr. members - putting out solo albums like there's no tomorrow; Deal, who is a member of The Breeders, has held her band mentality for the most part. The arrival of this album with her as the star on the cover, however, is even more intriguing because of the wait. And the resulting material is as assured in its slacker cool feel and as anything she has put her name to in her career so far and full of weird and scuzzy sounds that make it a feast for the ears. Deal's great taste in production is part of her winning formula, with the likes of Josh Klinghoffer (former Red Hot Chilli Peppers), Raymond McGinley of Teenage Fanclub, Slint's Britt Walford and the late Steve Albini all credited on this astounding record.

Review: Featuring as it does six discs of live recordings, Music Portrait is veritable feast for Depeche Mode fans. All of the material was originally recorded for radio broadcasts. Discs one and two feature what appears to be an almost complete 1998 concert featuring such perennial favourites as 'Policy of Truth', 'Personal Jesus', 'It's No Good' and 'Just Can't Get Enough' (a triumphant, sing-along conclusion all told), while CD three offers up 11 songs from a set recorded in 2005. The other three discs feature recordings of solo outings from Dave Gahan, with big Depeche Mode hits being joined by personal favourites and deep cuts from the Basildon Band's 40-plus year career.

Review: Futurismo proudly present the release all hardcore Devo fans have been waiting for: Art Devo 1973-1977, a lovingly packaged box set housing rare, unheard and obscure mind-blowers sourced directly from the vaults of The De-Evolution Band. This anthology takes you from the band's initial conception in Akron, Ohio to the moment before the world woke up to them, in a collection of sonic and visual art that captures Devo at the dawn of industrial death. This is a one-time only, strictly limited edition box set, never to be remade. De-evolution is real. The art of Devo is real. Here is the evidence.

Review: DIIV's fourth album, Frog in Boiling Water, is a haunting yet mesmerizing testament to the band's resilience and creativity. Produced by Chris Coady, the album emerges after a tumultuous four-year journey that nearly tore the band apart. Drawing inspiration from Daniel Quinn's The Story of B, the album explores themes of societal collapse under end-stage capitalism, symbolized by the metaphor of the boiling frog. The lead single, Brown Paper Bag, sets the tone with its intersection of dream-pop and post-rock, capturing the band's blend of dejection and angst. Throughout the album's ten tracks, DIIV navigate a musical landscape that balances rhythms built from breakbeats with ethereal guitars and vocals. Despite facing internal conflicts and external pressures, DIIV's commitment to creating meaningful art shines through on Frog in Boiling Water. Each song reflects the band's collective struggle and resilience, offering a poignant commentary on the precarious state of the world. While the album's creation was fraught with challenges, including personal struggles and creative differences, DIIV emerges stronger than ever. Frog in Boiling Water is a testament to the band's ability to confront adversity head-on and channel their experiences into music that is both introspective and evocative. With its haunting melodies and introspective lyrics, Frog in Boiling Water is a special addition to DIIV's discography, showing the band's evolution and maturation as artists.

Review: Dislocation Dance come straight out of the traps with the opener 'I Just Need A Friend'. It takes Parliament-esque funk into the 21st century and is an injection of sheer joy. Trumpeter Andy Diagram earns his keep with his stunning playing on 'Sugar Coated', while 'We All Need Love' and 'Really Should Know Better' transport you to sunny climes. 'Sugar Coated' sounds like Beirut thanks to the trumpet-tinged sparseness and tender, intimate vocal performance. And 'Can't Come Back' mixes jangle pop with electronica to great effect. It's truly great to see the return of Dislocation Dance as they have great credentials, having released some of their early material on Rough Trade and the first punk indie label, Buzzcocks' New Hormones.

Review: With Jimi Goodwin having retired from touring duties, this album takes on a whole new level of significance as it brings to question whether this album marks the end of the road for them as a unit. We certainly hope that it's just the beginning of a new era as they sound at the top of their game and reassert their reputation as one of the best British bands. The achingly beautiful 'Renegade' is right up there with their Lost Souls era and featured some stunning lyrics that tug at the heart strings: "As you walk out the door / Then your walking out, you're out forever." Meanwhile, 'Cold Dreaming' has an epic feel to it and is Leeds indie sorts The Music-esque - it's lush and orchestral with an epic chorus melody that will have you punching the air triumphantly. One to crank up on the car stereo and wind down the windows for definitely.

Review: This demo sessions album is a real rarity - so if you were one of few to bag a copy first time round, you likely earned some jealous looks from fans. But since it's earned cult status as a jewel in their oeuvre through word of mouth, America's answer to Slowdive caved to popular opinion and made it more accessible with this first ever remaster job. This album takes it back to where it all began. Before signing to Caroline Records, Boston-based shoegazers took a leaf out of the punk DIY handbook and handed out this collection on cassette at gigs around London and posted it to labels. 4AD picked up on it and handed the cassette to the Melody Maker, where critics swooned and sparked a feeding frenzy for their signature. And for good reason: despite being less produced than their albums proper, the muddier mixes have a murky, hypnotic edge. Of the songs here 'Song For J.J.' is exhilarating with its unsettling, apocalyptic atmosphere. And 'Daymom' is the audio equivalent to being stood on a windswept Arctic tundra - dark, desolate beauty to its core. Many bands will come and do their best Drop Nineteens impression with the nu-gaze movement in full swing, but the 'Teens had something really special that can't be repeated.

Review: Disco bossmen HiFi Sean and David McAlmont return with their new album, Daylight, on Plastique Recordings and a fine one it is too to follow up their acclaimed 2023 debut, Happy Ending. Daylight features twelve exhilarating tracks that celebrate the essence of summer and do a good job of capturing its vibrant colours and joyous moods. This is the first of two albums from the duo in 2024, with the nocturnal counterpart, Twilight, set for release on December 1 and therefore likely to be a celebration of the moods of winter. In the meantime, your days will be long and bright and full of dancing with this one.

Review: Arriving almost exactly three months after its predecessor, HiFi Sean and David McAlmont's third collaborative full-length is lightly a conceptual flip side to 2024's Daylight - a "dusk till dawn" night drive sequel, as they put it. To provide a distinctly different sonic sheen to the album that preceded it, the duo has reached for slow, soft-touch grooves, dreamy textures, bubbly electronics, strobe-lit synths and musical motifs forged in darker, if still colourful, tones. Add in McAlmont's honeyed, effortlessly soulful vocals, and you have another genuine gem from the 1990s survivors. Highlights include Blessed Madonna collaboration 'The Comedown', the tactile bliss of 'Goodbye Drama Queen', the huggable wooziness of 'High With You' and the heartfelt sweep of 'Star'.