I know a lot about art, I just don’t know what I like – 10 Classic Album covers

The Government estimates we produce over 10 million tones of packaging waste each year. The Daily Mail have declared war on the simple plastic bag, declaring it a hazard up there with nuclear war, Labour and immigrants. Even asking for one in Marks and Spencer is now akin to saying ‘I would like you to [...]

Don’t Stop Believing – AOR makes a comeback

It was Glee what did it. The actually-quite-good American teen comedy has taken the world by storm, and in its wake, the radio is awash with songs from the glory days of American rock. Songs which were long-gone and, according to some, best-forgotten, have suddenly become cool again. Except, of course, they haven’t. Soft rock, [...]

Dylan banned from playing China

Western ray of sunshine Bob Dylan has axed a series of dates in east Asia after being refused entry to perform in China. The veteran folk God had lined up dates in Shanghai, Beijing, Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong this month after finishing a string of dates in Japan.

21st Century Man – Luke Haines Interview

Without Luke Haines, there would have been no Britpop. He wouldn’t want your thanks for that. With The Auteurs debut album, he helped an angle-hungry UK Media find the British response to grunge which would eventually lead to Cool Britannia and all that. The ironic thing, of course, was that he bore absolutely no resemblence [...]

The Brits 2010 – Your brief guide to the new musical landscape

The Brits are a bit like the monarchy – they seem to have fans but no-one you talk to can point you in the direction of one. What are they for? Lazy people. What’s that you say? ‘But ELM, surely they act as a facile excuse for industry people to get coked up and talk [...]

Tunng and the art of album teasers

Way back in the days when you only owned music if you paid for it, and owning thousands of songs necessitated having a storage space sufficient to house a small elephant in, there was the flexi-disc. This was a, essentially, a seven inch single which hadn’t been to the gym and was floppy. Music magazines [...]

Noel Gallagher: Solo Artist – What the world’s been waiting for?

He probably wouldn’t thank you for the comparison, but Noel Gallagher has been the Ryan Giggs of music for years now: although he played for someone you couldn’t stand, you always thought he seemed a good bloke personally. If you want to torture this one out further, you could say both of them started brilliantly, [...]

Simply the Worst #6: Oasis – Roll With It

Next in the crud countdown was the moment when Oasis decided, for reasons best known to themselves, to release what sounded like a tuning jam. It’s hard to overstate just how exciting it was to be a teenage indie fan in summer 1995. All those limited edition Kingmaker CD Single digipaks, the concerts in front [...]

Nothing Ever Lasts Forever – Bands you used to like but just don’t any more

It happens to us all; ELM takes us on a personal trip to explain why one of his old favourites no longer do it for him. I don’t want to come over all Sophia from the Golden Girls – there’s one for the kids – but picture it; 1995, the summer of Britpop. It seems [...]

The Songs That Saved Your Life – The 90s: Loaded

The decade where things could only get better brought the world cargo pants, Sunny Delight and Chris Evans. Musically, Grunge and Britpop could lay claim to being the defining movements of the era, though that’s to do a disservice to Jive Bunny. ELM suggests it wasn’t a band who could lay claim to the most [...]