albums

Steps fans have been asking for it, and now the band has delivered with the release of their first three studio albums on vinyl. From today fans can get their hands on ‘Step One’ (1998), ‘Steptacular’ (1999) and ‘Buzz’ (2000) on vinyl for the very first time. All three releases are available on multiple formats now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1ur2jQtPpk The 5x platinum debut album ‘Step One’, 4x platinum and #1 album ‘Steptacular’ and double platinum album ‘Buzz’ had previously only been available on…

Todd Snider hunkered down during the first year or so of the pandemic, and like some musicians suddenly knocked off the road, he took to online music-making — but with a unique twist. Starting in October 2020, Snider devoted each Sunday to playing and live-streaming the entirety of one of his albums, start to finish, with just his voice and guitar. Along the way he’d talk about the origins of some of the songs and play ones that had been left off. With the 30th anniversary of his first album, Songs for the Daily…

Rapper previously topped the charts with I Am > I Was as well as collaborative albums Her Loss with Drake and Savage Mode II with Metro Boomin 21 Savage‘s American Dream has debuted atop the Billboard 200 Albums chart, the publication announced on Sunday, marking the second time the rapper has topped the album chart for one of his solo albums. Coming in second this week was Kali Uchis’s ORQUIDEAS, marking the highest debut for any of her albums in her career. Morgan Wallen’s One Thing At A…

Waxahatchee, Brittany Howard, Vampire Weekend, and more The year is starting off with some great new releases from beloved indie and alt-rock heroes, must-hear singer-songwriter LPs, welcome returns from metal veterans, and more. Plus, we’ve got some updates on albums we hope we get before 2024 is out. Sleater-Kinney, ‘Little Rope’ (Jan. 19) Image Credit: Chris…

Looking ahead at what's shaping up to be a major year in hip-hop With the new year comes a fresh calendar of new releases. After a somewhat quiet 2023, some of rap’s biggest names and hottest upcoming talent are poised to drop in 2024. Listeners who lamented last year’s paltry offering of blockbuster rap albums will be comforted to know that this year is already shaping up to be a major one. Artists like Playboi Carti, who appears to be shaking off the mysterious lore in favor…

K-pop octet look to capitalize on breakout 2023 with big plans for new year K-pop outfit Stray Kids are teasing a big 2024 that includes a pair of new albums and another world tour. In an artsy, retrospective “Step Out 2024” video that looks back at the octet’s busy 2023 — including their performance at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards — the group gave fans a promise of “What’s Next,” which includes their grand plans for this year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxss4QUsz8Q On the…

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From mega-pop sensations to underground gems Nobody likes you when you’re 2023, as Blink 182 warned us. But it’s a fact: years that end in “3” are always great music years, however they might suck for everything else. These were the albums (and songs) that kept me facing forward and moving on up all year. Some of them kept revealing new twists and surprises over time; other settled into a durable pleasure groove. Some are mega-pop sensations; others are underground gems. Pop…

A thrilling group that I thought had gone for ever – so it was amazing to hear this, how fresh it is and yet so recognisable. My partner of 20 years died very suddenly of a brain aneurysm in October 2022 and I so wish he could have heard Caution to the Wind. It moves me immensely. Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt have always been so eloquent about love and loss, and about the joy of music and partying. Heartfelt ballads, pounding drum’n’bass, songs that play with the form of music itself – there’s a lot to love. In my own loss…

10. Tamsin Elliott/Tarek Elazhary – So Far We Have ComeThe maqams (melodic modes) of classical Arabic music meet with English folk flourishes in this exploratory project between Bristolian multi-instrumentalist Elliott and Egyptian oud player Elazhary. They bonded in Cairo before the pandemic and their musical connection feels affectingly deep. Sixteen tracks whirl between seductive elegies on an accordion (tuned to achieve microtonality), Playford dances, twitchy field recordings, and pastoral reveries. Accompanying…