Andy Bell of Ride, has teamed up with Dot Allison and Michael Rother for an album collaboration titled Pinball Wanderer which is due for release on February 28th. The first single has been revealed on YouTube, and it is the cover version of the Passion's classic "I'm in Love with a German Film Star" that was released in January 1981.
Best of 2024 - The Album List
The year 2024 was a remarkable year for music, delivering a vibrant mix of genres that defined the soundscape of the year. Legendary musicians graced us with groundbreaking albums, reaffirming their enduring influence, while emerging talents injected fresh perspectives into the industry, redefining genres and captivating audiences worldwide. Below is a roundup of notable albums that left a mark this year, making them contenders for our year-end favorites.
01. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Wild God [PIAS]
Wild God is the18th studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released in August 2024. It is the first studio album to feature the full participation of the Bad Seeds since Skeleton Tree (2016).The album has been described as a thematic shift and a return to living, suggesting that Cave has emerged from a grief-induced period and rediscovered a love for life. Wild God received two nominations at the Grammy Awards and one for the Australian Music Prize.
02. Magdalena Bay - Imaginal Disk [Mom + Pop]
Imaginal Disk is the second studio album by Magdalena Bay, released through Mom + Pop Music in August 2024. The album was entirely produced by the duo, and it is a concept album where the fictional character True is implanted with an "Imaginal Disk", into her forehead to transform into her ideal self. Like its influences, the album is predominantly Synth-pop with elements of pop music, psychedelia, new age, disco, shoegaze, and progressive rock.
03. Allie X - Girl With No Face [Twin]
Allie X's third studio album, Girl With No Face, released in February 2024 and recorded in 2020 during the global lockdowns. Like her previous releases, this album is even more, 80s and Synth pop inspired and also paying homage to 1980s Synth pop, but not the typical variety that's been heard in recent times. Instead, Allie X recreates the early New wave and Dark wave resulting in something with a lot more edge and texture.
04. The Cure - Songs of a Lost World [Polydor/Fiction]
The Cure's latest album, Songs of a Lost World, released in November 2024, marks their first collection of new material in 16 years. Critics have praised the album for its dark, personal themes and a return to the band's earlier, more atmospheric sound. Commercially, Songs of a Lost World has been a significant success. It debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, becoming the band's first chart-topping album since Wish in 1992.
05. The Last Dinner Party - Prelude to Ecstasy [Universal]
Prelude to Ecstasy is the debut album by British indie pop band the Last Dinner Party that was released in February 2024. Already in 2023, the band made prominence with a string of hits, including "Nothing Matters" and "My Lady of Mercy". The album is a collection of baroque art pop songs with a kick of Glam, goth and grotesque. When it was released in reached the Top tens in several countries including native UK.
06. Fontains D.C. - Romance [XL]
Romance is the fourth studio album by Fontaines D.C and their first release on XL Recordings. This change was also evident in their music style, as they moved a bit from their signature Post punk, adapting influences from Brit pop and Alternative Rock. It was also the band's first album to chart in the United States. The band received two nominations at the 2025 Grammy Awards: Best Rock Album for Romance and Best Alternative Music Performance for "Starburster."
07. Fat White Family - Forgiveness is Yours [Domino]
Forgiveness is Yours is the fourth studio album of Fat White Family, which was released in April 2024. It is very relevant to the time we live in. It is energetic, dynamic and as it is stated on their label page, it has pushed them to the limits not only of their creative talent, but of their health, their sanity, their very existence however they continue to challenge conventions, and Forgiveness is Yours solidifies their place as one of the most compelling acts in contemporary music.
08. Michael Kiwanuka - Small Changes [Polydor]
Small Changes is the fourth studio album by Michael Kiwanuka, released last November 2024. The album is released after five years break and reflects his personal life and changes, capturing his growth as an artist and individual. This is another brilliant neo-soul record, adding touches from other genres including R&B, indie, folk, blues, and jazz. Overall, Small Changes is a testament to Michael Kiwanuka's artistic maturity, showcasing his ability to craft soulful, introspective music.
09. Ride - Interplay [Wichita]
Interplay is the seventh studio album by Ride, released in March 2024, through Wichita Recordings. The album was written and recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic and showcases a blend of genres, including shoegaze, Krautrock, and synth-pop, giving it a more progressive tone, however retaining a hint of their shoegaze roots from the first two albums.
10. Suki Waterhouse - Memoir of a Sparklemuffin [Sub Pop]
Memoir of a Sparklemuffin is the second studio album by Suki Waterhouse, released in September 2024, under the Sub Pop label. Comprising 18 tracks, the album showcases Waterhouse's evolution as an artist, blending her indie pop roots with explorations into other genres. While some praise its eclectic sound and Waterhouse's lyrical vulnerability, others feel it falls short of a successful reinvention.
11. Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft [Darkroom]
12. Beth Gibbons - Life Outgrown [Domino]
13. Sunship Balloon - Real Humans [/]
14. English Teacher - This Could Be Texas [Island]
15. The Smile - Wall of Eyes [XL]
16. Bill Ryder-Jones - Iechyd Da [Domino]
17. Telenova - Time is Flower [EMI]
18. Empire of the Sun - Ask That God [EMI]
19. Nadine Shah - Filthy Underneath [EMI]
20. Ronnie Stone - Ride Again [Feeltrip]
Best of 2024 - The Singles
2024 was a remarkable year for music, delivering a vibrant mix of genres that defined the soundscape of the year. Iconic artists returned with chart-topping hits, reminding us why they’ve stood the test of time, while newcomers brought bold innovation, shaking up the music scene with fresh sounds and perspectives. Here's a collection of the very best tracks from 2024 and a Happy New Year!!
02. Holy Wire - I Still Feel Alone All The Time
03. Bon Iver - Things Behind Things Behind Things
04. Nick Cave & Wild Seeds - Wild God
05. Allie X - Bon Voyage
06. The Cure - Alone
07. Depeche Mode - Before Dawn
08. Magdalena Bay - Death & Romance
09. The The - Cognitive Dissident
10. Billie Eilish - Birds of Feather
11. Ride - Monaco
12. Jamie XX fr Robyn - Life
13. Suki Waterhouse - OMG
14. Telenova - Power
15. Nadine Shah - Greatest Dancer
16. Geneva Jacuzzi - Scene Ballerina
17. Fountains D.C. - Starbuster
18. MGMT - Nothing to Declare
19. Fat White Family - What's That You Say
20. Pet Shop Boys - Dancing Star
WATCH: Soap&Skin - Girl Loves Me
"Girl Loves Me" is the second single for the Austrian singer Anja Plaschg who records under the name Soap&Skin. This and the cover of the song "Mystery of Love" which we already announced here are featured on her album Torso that was released on November 22nd.
The Wombats - Blood on the Hospital Floor
The Wombats have released a brand new single titled "Blood on the Hospital Floor". This song will be featured on their upcoming studio album Oh! The Ocean scheduled for February 2025.
Sade - Young Lion
Sade has released her first single in six years, titled "Young Gun".This song is part of Transa:Selects compilation that celebrates the spiritual journey of trans people. It also features tracks by Perfume Genius, Fleet Foxes, Moses Sumney and many others.
Retrovision: Blue Zone - On Fire
"On Fire" was a third single release for the UK trio Blue Zone led by Lisa Stansfield. Shortly after the release of the single on 18 November 1987, fire broke at King's Cross St Pancras tube station. It killed thirty-one people and hundred were taken to hospital, nineteen with serious injuries. Just as the single was climbing up the charts, it was withdrawn by the record company in the UK in the wake of this disaster.
Manic Street Preachers - Hiding in Plain Sight
Manic Street Preachers have returned with two new singles, "Decline and Fall" and "Hiding in Plain Sight." The latter track features vocals by the bassist Nicky Wire and Catherine Anne Davies. Their forthcoming studio album, Critical Thinking, is set for release on January 31, 2025.
WATCH: Allie X - Bon Voyage
Allie X has released a new single titled "Bon Voyage". Earlier this year she released her third studio album Girl with No Face. This songs promotes the album's Deluxe edition which features album tracks in a different arrangements.
Instant Hit: The Glove - Like An Animal
The Glove released their debut single, "Like an Animal," in August 1983. As a side project of Robert Smith from The Cure and Steve Severin from Siouxsie and the Banshees, the project allowed both musicians to take a break from their where they recruited Jeanette Landray to take on lead vocal duties for the song. The band released one-off album, Blue Sunshine, before disbanding, with Smith and Severin returning to their original bands.
Out Today: The Cure - Songs of The Lost World
The Cure have released their fourteenth studio album Songs of The Lost World today. The album was already promoted with the string of singles including the their latest, "All I Ever Am". It is their first new material since their album 4:13 Dream which was released back in 2008 which was originally intended to be released in 2019. Last month, we also featured here the first single "Alone".
Best of 1994 - The Singles List
In the music world, the year 1994 is mostly remembered for the tragic death of Kurt Cobain, who committed suicide on April 5th. Cobain's death marked a pivotal moment for the grunge movement, which had dominated the early '90s. With his passing, grunge reached its peak but also began to slowly dissolve.
During this time, punk rock experienced a resurgence, thanks in large part to bands like Green Day and The Offspring. Green Day's album Dookie and The Offspring's Smash brought punk energy back into the mainstream with a new twist, most notable as skate punk and pop punk.
Across the Atlantic, the Britpop movement was in full swing, with bands like Oasis, Blur, and Pulp leading the charge. Oasis released their debut album Definitely Maybe, which sold 100,000 copies within just four days of release, earning them the record for the fastest-selling debut album in British history.
Nine Inch Nails also made a significant impact in 1994 with the release of The Downward Spiral, pushing industrial rock into mainstream consciousness and becoming a landmark album in the genre.
In January 1994, Bryan Adams made history by becoming the first major Western music star to perform in Vietnam since the end of the Vietnam War, symbolizing a significant moment in cultural diplomacy.
Wet Wet Wet's cover of "Love Is All Around," from the film Four Weddings and a Funeral, dominated the UK Singles Chart, staying at number #1 for fifteen weeks, making it the second-longest consecutive run at number 1 in the UK Singles Chart history.
Woodstock '94 celebrated the 25th anniversary of the original Woodstock Festival and featured notable performances, including Green Day's infamous mud fight with the crowd on Day 3, a moment that has since become legendary.
Overall, 1994 was a year of significant transitions and memorable events in the music world, with new movements emerging and others evolving, marking the end of an era and the beginning of new trends in music.
Below is the list of 50 songs that defined the landscape of 1994. It is a mix of some of the favorites back then and the ones I am still listening today.
#30YearsAnniversaryof #1994 #TheSinglesList
01. The Cranberries - Linger
02. Prodigy - No Good
03. Youssou N'Dour & Neneh Cherry - 7 Seconds
04. Oasis - Live Forever
05. Blur - Girls and Boys
06. Nine Inch Nails - Closer
07. Mazzy Star - Fade into You
08. Edwyn Collins - A Girl Like You
09. Depeche Mode - In Your Room
10. Smashing Pumpkins - Disarm
11. Kylie Minogue - Confide in Me
12. R.E.M. - What's The Frequency, Kenneth
13. Madonna - Secret
14. Pink Floyd - High Hopes
15. Jeff Buckley - Grace
16. Seal - Kiss from the Rose
17. Beastie Boys - Sabotage
18. Tori Amos - Cornflake Girl
19. Wet Wet Wet - Love Is All Around
20. Sinead O'Connor - Fire on Babylon
02. Prodigy - No Good
03. Youssou N'Dour & Neneh Cherry - 7 Seconds
04. Oasis - Live Forever
05. Blur - Girls and Boys
06. Nine Inch Nails - Closer
07. Mazzy Star - Fade into You
08. Edwyn Collins - A Girl Like You
09. Depeche Mode - In Your Room
10. Smashing Pumpkins - Disarm
11. Kylie Minogue - Confide in Me
12. R.E.M. - What's The Frequency, Kenneth
13. Madonna - Secret
14. Pink Floyd - High Hopes
15. Jeff Buckley - Grace
16. Seal - Kiss from the Rose
17. Beastie Boys - Sabotage
18. Tori Amos - Cornflake Girl
19. Wet Wet Wet - Love Is All Around
20. Sinead O'Connor - Fire on Babylon
The Horrors - The Silence That Remains
The Horrors have released a brand new single titled, "The Silence That Remains". The song will be featured on their sixth studio album Night Life, which is set for release on March 25th 2025.
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