Idles released a powerful remix of Sex Swing's 'Passover', minimalist and atmospheric, a new song; 'A New Kind of Sky' is timeless psych-folk by the Hanging Stars; Rider Shafique and The Bug collaborate on dark industrial hip-hop 'Burn'; Porridge Radio find a different angle to themselves on Lala Lala collaboration 'Good For You'; industrial trap meets grindcore on Luma's 'Lionsblood', it sounds strange and it is strange; Manonmars' 'Pidgeon' is psychedelic hip hop gem; Monte's 'Mirla' is the sound of bird dying.

A fun new song 'Pelota' by the psych-trio Khruangbin; 'Dreams' by Hannas Georgas is a simple, almost cold, albeit full-hearted song produced by The National's Aaron Dessner; Braids 'Snow Angel' is elegiac and threatening, a pearl!; J Cole's 'Snow On Tha Bluff' addresses the issue of Black Lives Matter protests (supposedly he's aiming at activist and rapper NoName); Idles' new song 'Grounds' features a big beat and a big riff.

London rapper Dave has won the 2019 Mercury Prize with his debut album 'Psychodrama', a critically acclaimed concept album about mental health, relationships and social conditions. This year the Mercury shortlist was just great: 1975‘s 'A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships', slowthai‘s 'Nothing Great About Britain', black midi‘s 'Schlagenheim', Little Simz‘s 'GREY area', Foals‘ 'Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 1', Nao‘s 'Saturn', IDLES‘ 'Joy as […]

"The rap, grime and future R&B (Nao, slowthai, Little Simz, Dave) represented the most incisive rising British talent, the guitar rock (Idles, Fontaines D.C., Black Midi) was suitably disjointed, angular and innovative, the poised and/or melodramatic art-pop (Anna Calvi, Cate le Bon) bore not the faintest trace of Paloma or Florence, the bigger names (The […]

The 1975 won songwriters of the year for their album, 'A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships' and best contemporary song for 'Love It If We Made It', at the 2019 Ivor Novello songwriting awards, Independent reports. The organizers praised The 1975's efforts as "a bold, inspirational and original statement, bringing together an awareness of contemporary […]

‘Mercedes Marxist’ is Bristol punks' first new track of 2019, and their first original release since last year's critically acclaimed album 'Joy As An Act of Resistance'. 'MM' will be a part of Idles' third album, and singer Joe Talbot explains to NME, how now they want to "write more techno, we want to write […]

Bristol punk-rock band Idles have topped a list of 2018's best albums, compiled by BBC 6 Music presenters. The group's second album 'Joy as an Act of Resistance' is "a really powerful record but it's still quite sly," said DJ Steve Lamacq. US trio Khruangbin came second on the list with jazz artist Kamasi Washington in […]