"I love streaming. I stream a lot of music myself. The access we have to all kinds of music from all over the world is incredible. But I believe streaming must be fixed" - Nadine Shah tells the Guardian about the issue ahead of a publication of the UK parliamentary report about it. She and other artists, such as Nile Rodgers, Ed O’Brien of Radiohead, as well as songwriters for stars such as Kylie Minogue, have hit out at an “archaic” streaming model that allows major labels to maximise their revenue while some musicians struggle to make minimum wage.

St Vincent looks inside her family with her new album made while her father was getting out of prison (spent 9 years there for $43 million stock fraud), 'Pay Your Way In Pain' is the first glimpse into it; Duendita brings soul to a jazz band with 'Open Eyes'; steel pan player Fimber Bravo announces his new album with an afrobeat banger 'Hiyah Man'; 'Flock' is the stand-out track from Jane Weaver's new eclectic psych-pop album of the same name; this is just lovely - Suede's Brett Anderson and Nadine Shah cover Mercury Rev's 'Holes' with help from Paraorchestra, the world's first large-scale integrated virtuoso ensemble of professional disabled and non-disabled musicians; Maple Glider presents her great voice on 'Good Thing'; Julianknxx shares his activist hip-hop poetry on 'Basement'.

"For an independent artist with a dedicated audience, the [streaming] system doesn’t work. And neither does it work for loyal fans. If you are a dance fan, jazz fan, or metal fan, the artists you love and listen to are unlikely to see a penny of your subscription. Streaming is the future, but to deliver a rich and culturally diverse musical future, non-mainstream music needs to be able to keep its head above water... Now we’re asking the government to intervene and... grant musicians rights to income from streaming, so they can earn a percentage from every stream regardless of the system" - Nadine Shah, who had to move back to her parents, writes in the Guardian about a broken system.

All of tQ's editorial staff and columnists have voted for their essential 2020 albums of the year so far, and it's a slightly left-field choice, as it is to be expected from the Quietus.

So, the top 10:

1. The Soft Pink Truth - Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase?

2. Einstürzende Neubauten - 'Alles In Allem'

3. Squarepusher - 'Be Up A Hello'

4. Beatrice Dillon - 'Workaround'

5. Jeff Parker - 'Suite for Max Brown'

6. Sex Swing - 'Type II'

7. Nadine Shah - 'Kitchen Sink'

8. Lyra Pramuk - 'Fountain'

9. Perfume Genius - 'Set My Heart On Fire Immediately'

10. Nazar - 'Guerrilla'

'Persona Non Grata' is a first new Bright Eyes song in 9 years, a bagpipes waltz; Nadine Shah rejects the traditions of marriage and family and yet still longing for them on 'Trad'; Scottibrains released 'Aristorats', an energo-ambiental song devoid of genre; Highly Suspect's new song and video 'These Days' have a family dinner turned nightmare; UK post punk band Squid released a tense new song 'Sludge'; Anglo-Ugandan electro-percussion outfit Nihiloxica are back with another outstanding new track 'Tewali Sukali'; Deerhoof “wanted to express what it feels like knowing that the rebels are our only hope" on their new song 'Future Teenage Cave Artists'.

Amy, Looking For Sugarman, Bird, Walk The Line, Whiplash, The Doors, Cabaret, Vox Lux, Pink Floyd: Live At Pompeii, Woodstock, Control (and more) - a very good choice made by Anna Calvi, Neil Tennant, Nadine Shah, Wayne Coyne, Nitin Sawhney and Anna Meredith for the Guardian.