Pop

Joyous perfection from a band that's sure to go far: Gabriels at The Social reviewed

30 October 2021 9:00 am

The bigger the next big thing, the smaller the room you want them playing in. You want the people who…

The death of the live album

23 October 2021 9:00 am

Next week The The release The Comeback Special, a 24-track live album documenting the band’s concert at the Royal Albert…

A terrible joke gone wonderfully right: Rick Astley and Blossoms Perform the Smiths reviewed

16 October 2021 9:00 am

Many of us who grew up loving the Smiths have rather shelved that affection in recent years. Many of us,…

Banal and profound, bent and beautiful: Nick Cave & Warren Ellis at Edinburgh Playhouse reviewed

2 October 2021 9:00 am

Nick Cave has always been drawn to parable and fable, but more than ever these days he is engaged in…

Two gigs that prove that rock and pop is never just about the music

2 October 2021 9:00 am

The single most boring and pointless thing that is ever said about rock and pop — and it always comes…

Teenage Fanclub are not a dramatic group, but they are lovely

18 September 2021 9:00 am

They may no longer get many teenagers at their shows spending all their money on merchandise, then throwing up on…

Cast a spell, clear and sharp as frost: The Unthanks, at Edinburgh International Festival, reviewed

4 September 2021 9:00 am

As August unwound, the EIF settled into the cavernous gazebo that is Edinburgh Park, and things began to loosen up.…

Good noisy fun: black midi, at the Edinburgh International Festival, reviewed

28 August 2021 9:00 am

This year we must love Edinburgh for her soul rather than her looks. The EIF should be commended for making…

What a genuine delight to be among people: Gorillaz, at the O2, reviewed

21 August 2021 9:00 am

The new music economy relies on cross-promotion and artists reaching out to different scenes. And the rise of streaming means…

When musical collaborations go right – and when they go horribly wrong

7 August 2021 9:00 am

Big Red Machine release their second album later this month. It’s a fine name for ten tonnes of agricultural apparatus…

Could she be the new Sade? Celeste at Union Chapel reviewed

24 July 2021 9:00 am

Some years ago, when I was the music editor of a newspaper, I called a number of historians of black…

The real death of rock

17 July 2021 9:00 am

What would a rock band have to do now to be seen as heralding the future? Twenty years ago, it…

The joys of musical comfort food

26 June 2021 9:00 am

I’ve given up comfort food. I’m trying to shift lockdown pounds that have left me with the physique of the…

How Trojan Records conquered the world

19 June 2021 9:00 am

When Trojan Records attempted to break into the United States music market in the early 1970s, it hit an insurmountable…

Wispy, gauzy beauty: This Is The Kit, Barbican, reviewed

5 June 2021 9:00 am

On the way home from This Is The Kit’s show at a socially distanced Barbican, I listened to Avalon by…

A perfect welcome back to live music: Sarathy Korwar at Kings Place reviewed

29 May 2021 9:00 am

There is a reason music writers tend to stick with music writing rather than transferring their manifold talents to the…

The sermons poked out of the songs like busted bed springs: Van Morrison livestream reviewed

15 May 2021 9:00 am

Over the decades, Van Morrison’s role within the tower of song has shifted from chief visionary officer to head of…

Watch kids go giddy in Niamey: Mdou Moctar live in Niger reviewed

1 May 2021 9:00 am

The other week someone posted on Twitter a link to a YouTube clip titled ‘Family Lotus and D.J. Cookin’ at…

A redemption song, conventionally sung: Sky's Tina reviewed

1 May 2021 9:00 am

It has never been easy for women in the music industry. Once upon a time the evidence was largely anecdotal.…

Moments of pure wonder: Folk Weekend Oxford reviewed

24 April 2021 9:00 am

Has any musical moment extended its tendrils in so many unexpected directions as the English folk revival of the mid-1960s?…

The songs are still as fresh and appetising as a hot loaf: The Lightning Seeds livestream reviewed

10 April 2021 9:00 am

One thing about a streamed festival is that the toilets are better than at the real thing. The other thing,…

Reminiscent of Roxy Music’s cocktail sound: The Weather Station reviewed

27 March 2021 9:00 am

One of the unforeseen consequences of the rise of streaming was a change in the very structure of the pop…

Revelatory and grubby: Framing Britney Spears reviewed

20 March 2021 9:00 am

The most headline-grabbing of these three pop docs was Framing Britney Spears, part of the New York Times Presents documentary…

The death of the mainstream band: Black Country, New Road reviewed

13 March 2021 9:00 am

Twitter was awash with mockery last week, after Adam Levine, the singer of the American group Maroon 5, was interviewed…

Epic prog rock without the widdly-woo solos: Mogwai at the Tramway reviewed

20 February 2021 9:00 am

You very possibly know the music of the Glaswegian band Mogwai, even if you don’t think you do. You might…