The Orange County crew have delivered their most satisfyingly ferocious set to date.
Some of the most dazzling, dizzying instrumental music you’ll hear this year.
There’s tremendous beauty within these purposefully flawed pop gems.
An album that furthers its makers’ country-folk cause in all the right ways.
For those about to rock, raise a salute to your enduringly enthralling forefathers.
A set of innocuous introspection that will appeal to Jack Johnson fans.
It’s unlikely that listeners will combat crime dressed as Mika as a result of this set.
It’s easy to forget just how from out of nowhere Deserter’s Songs was.
An hour of great music that works independently of its parent picture.
They’ve invention enough to outlast most of the chillwave players.
Sure to resonate deeply with the Will Oldham faithful.
Entertaining debut from a band with potential to shake up the post-rock establishment.
The Welsh rockers introduce a pop immediacy that could propel them into the mainstream.
A deceptively enjoyable, bright and airy debut from Paul Simon’s son.
Expect to hear a lot more from this Brooklyn band in the coming months.
Music without fear, and such audacity should only ever be celebrated.
Remastered and expanded reissues of three important Bad Seeds albums.
A one-stop introduction for newcomers to Rodgers’ best-loved bands.
They’ve the potential to follow Biffy into the bright lights of the biggest stages.
Affecting, empowering fare from a young rapper sparking with ambition.
Manson’s career-defining performance is as electrifying as it was 15 years ago.
A firm favourite amongst the Idlewild faithful, and not afraid to get heavy.
A perfunctory debut album, but surely destined for the indie landfill.
Its inherent sweetness can’t fail to connect with a bigger audience.
Widescreen evolution from former Blood Brothers punks.
One-time peers of REM are exhumed, and still sound remarkably fresh.
Album four from the mathcore innovators is another singular success.
A treat for fans, but younger ears might wonder what the fuss was ever about.
Long-term fans of Pollock, and The Delgados, will find their expectations met.
As hot as a deep-frozen chicken fillet, this soulless Auto-Tune-fest is one to avoid.
A nadir for a group once heralded as purveyors of the very brightest pop.
A great idea some distance short of being properly realised.
Errors have grafted real flesh to synthetic bone: this is the machine made man.
The work here only lends weight to Micmacs’ already impressive reputation.
Entertaining, sunny-side-up fare, despite its obvious debt to the likes of J Dilla.
They remain among the UK’s most cherished songwriters and performers.
Could prove to be this year’s Merriweather, so dazzling is its sunny composition.
A superb record from one of the world’s most uniquely-minded bands.
Expect Goulding to be the last one standing at 2010’s poll-winners’ party.
Nedry are evolving trip hop in an enticing fashion.
Go see them, as on this evidence they’ll be a great watch.
Glorious, albeit predictably so, Similes is a delight to be distracted by.
It trades innovation for let-loose fun, and wears its influences proudly.
A limited-run Valentine’s set from the plain-speaking American bluesman.
The influential NYC label significantly changed the world as we hear it.
Music of a textural depth that’s difficult to have too much of.
They might not capture your heart fully, but theirs are in the right place.
Bowie’s continuing hunger sets a fabulous example to new artists.
Despite promising little, Turn Ons proves to be quite the diverting delight.
A worthy addition to an already vast catalogue.
