Damon Albarn has said he has never surpassed ‘Clint Eastwood’, the 2001 breakthrough single by his virtual band Gorillaz. He described the track as a rare moment where the music, concept and timing aligned perfectly, suggesting that such an achievement cannot simply be repeated. Released as Gorillaz’s debut single, ‘Clint Eastwood’ combined Albarn’s melodic style…

Michael Stipe, former frontman of R.E.M., has released another preview track from his long-awaited debut solo album, continuing a rollout that has stretched over several years. The new song, “Hum Desiderata”, is a spoken word piece based on Max Ehrmann’s poem “Desiderata” and features additional vocals from artist Elizabeth Hatmaker, offering fans another glimpse of…

Happy Mondays are re-issuing their classic 1990 album ‘Pills ‘N’ Thrills and Bellyaches’ in a lavish new edition, marking the record’s enduring status as a defining release of the Madchester era. The reissue matters to fans of the band as it revisits a landmark work that fused dance beats with indie songwriting, helping shape a…

Carol Kaye’s ten favourite recordings she played on span soul, pop and rock classics, illustrating the breadth of the influential Los Angeles session musician’s work. The selections highlight her contributions to well-known artists including Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, the Beach Boys, Glen Campbell and Barbra Streisand. – ‘Summertime’ — Sam Cooke – ‘America the Beautiful’…

The article revisits the story of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”, released in 1975, which reportedly alarmed EMI Records before it became one of the band’s biggest hits. Executives at the label were said to be nervous about releasing the track as a single because of its unconventional structure and near six-minute length, far exceeding what radio…