Chimpomatic

From the solid dance record that was their self-titled debut, LCD Soundsystem have managed to successfully evolve into one of the most essential acts around today. As solid as the debut was, you'd be forgiven for pegging them as a one trick pony. 2007's Sound Of Silver put paid to any of that by topping all the 'best of' lists that year, including ....read more

Band of Horses channeling their inner-Fleet Foxes on this exclusive clip for the BBC Later website. They were on Jools Holland Live last night, and will be on the main show this Friday ....hopefully with ampilfiers and only one singer. ....read more

The 00s have certainly been a turbulent decade for the music industry, from the rise and fall of Napster, through the MP3 and iPod revolution and on to the reality TV dominated close of the decade. Drum and bass infiltrated pop music so throughly that it's now just part of the furniture, while Hip Hop blew up to dominate the US charts, nabbing a g ....read more

The 00s have certainly been a turbulent decade for the music industry, from the rise and fall of Napster, through the MP3 and iPod revolution and on to the reality TV dominated close of the decade. Drum and bass infiltrated pop music so throughly that it's now just part of the furniture, while Hip Hop blew up to dominate the US charts, nabbing a g ....read more

this time, it's NME's top 50 albums of the decade 1. The Strokes - Is This It 2. The Libertines - Up The Bracket 3. Primal Scream - xtrmntr 4. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not 5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell 6. PJ Harvey - Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea 7. Arcade Fire - Funeral 8. Interpol ....read more

First a confession - this is the first time in my life I have ever seen the Pixies, and since I've been going to gigs for (oh dear) 30 years, I've missed many a golden opportunity, and the Pixies always figured high on the list of "ones I shoulda seen". Suddenly the opportunity miraculously arises as the Pixies undertake a tour to celebra ....read more

Sometime last year I went to see Silver Jews play in the intimate surroundings of London's ULU. On entering I couldn't help but notice the crowd congregating avidly round some sort of commotion occurring in the middle of the venue. The stage was clear so it couldn't be the band, but what was the source of the deafening noise that was pounding throu ....read more

The latest video from Dinosaur Jr features the three original band members J. Mascis, Lou Barlow and ‘Murph’ (Emmett Jefferson Murphy) trying to pull off the tricks of their youth on skateboards and a BMX – a self-conscious admission that past glories are almost always impossible to replicate. Happily Dinosaur Jr, with past feuds ....read more

Sub Pop have a new sampler up for free download, but rather than link directly to it, I insist you visit the page - which is decked out like a 1996 web disaster. Tracklist: Vetiver – Strictly Rule Handsome Furs – I’m Confused Mark Sultan – Hold On Red Red Meat – Gauze Obits – Pine On The Vaselines &nd ....read more

Details of Ornette's Coleman's Meltdown at the Southbank - TICKETS GO ON SALE: » to Southbank Centre Members on Wednesday 29 April at 10am » to all on Thursday 30 April at 10am The Roots with guest David Murray & more Saturday 13 June David Murray & Gwo-Ka Masters + Jamaaladeen Tacuma Saturday 13 J ....read more

The whole star status formula was concocted one evening in the pub following a discussion about the patchy career of messrs Connory and Caine. Connery has a career so patchy he only scored a 28.8% hit rate, while Michael Caine's career is so schizophrenic that he couldn't collect his Oscar for Woody Allen's Hannah and Her Sisters, as he was busy fi ....read more

New Pink Mountaintops album coming May 5. Great guest list: Sophie Trudeau (A Silver Mt. Zion, Godspeed You! Black Emperor), Ted Bois (Destroyer), Jesse Sykes (Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter, sunnO)))), Phil Wandscher (Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter, Whiskeytown), Josh Stevenson (Jackie O Motherfucker), Ashley Webber (The Organ, ....read more

Silver Jews man David Berman is splitting up the band so he can spend more time taking on his Dr Evil spin doctor dad... ....read more

It's been a pretty good year for music according to my ears, and I've struggled to prioritise my top 5. The fifth place provided the most struggle and I narrowed it down to two albums I've overplayed and am currently on hiatus from - TV On The Radio and Vampire Weekend. I suspect they will both remain firm favourites, but song for song I'm going to ....read more

I've been trying to come up with a 2008 top five, I hardly thought I'd bought five albums this year. Pathetic. However, here goes; 1. Bob Dylan; 'Tell Tale Signs' 2. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds; 'Dig Lazarus Dig!' 3. Sons and Daughters; 'This Gift' 4. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy With Harem Scarem & Alex Neilson; 'Is It The Sea?' 5. Silver Jews ....read more

Looking down my list of the best albums of the year it seems that with the exception of Black Mountain, this year has been all about the debut album. Some fine releases from the likes of Calexico, Okkervil River and Deerhoof but it was the new boys who really stepped up. All the surprises for me came from a very healthy US underground indie/punk sc ....read more