MAKING A MASTERPIECE

‘I pictured the Soft Boys as bloodless, spectral entities’: how the Soft Boys made Underwater Moonlight

Made in a grey and broken Britain, the Soft Boys’ Underwater Moonlight refracted sparkling 1960s power pop, providing a foundational text for 1980s neo-psychedelia and alt-rock.

3 July 2026

THE WEEKLY MIX

ALBUM REVIEW

Graham Coxon, Castle Park

Exploring adolescent romance and the passing of time, the album teems with Coxon’s familiar pop charms and is one of the strongest entries into his solo discography.

MUSEUM OF YOUTH CULTURE

A short history of youth culture in 10 iconic photos: punks, mods, ravers & more!

The Museum of Youth Culture’s extensive collection includes countless iconic photographs, amassed over three decades of archive building. Celebrating mods, punks, breakdancers, ravers and everyone in between, these images capture the vibrancy of youth cultures across the decades.

MAKING A MASTERPIECE

‘They all wanted to be the front man’: how the Stone Roses made their classic debut album

Beginning with shambolic preproduction, driven by a puritanical work ethic and featuring last-minute moments of inspiration, David Rea explores the novelistic story behind The Stone Roses’ classic debut album.

Neil Young’s greatest albums ranked and reviewed! 1968-1975

From his pristine eponymous debut through to the first post-’ditch’ record, Zuma, 1968-1975 forms the first great era of Neil Young’s discography. Read our ranking from 8-1.

Photo: Gijsbert Hanekroot / Alamy

3 July 2026

FEATURES

ALBUM REVIEW

Castle Park

Graham Coxon

Exploring adolescent romance and the passing of time, the album teems with Coxon’s familiar pop charms and is one of the strongest entries into his solo discography.

27 June 2026

‘I don’t care if it’s out of tune’: Neil Young’s Tonight’s the Night in the age of machines

In an era of confected studio production, Neil Young recorded Tonight’s the Night, one of the rawest and most desolate albums ever made. David Rea explores the live recording philosophy behind the masterpiece and how it might soon be seen as the AI revolution takes hold.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

‘I’m going to kill you tonight’: how they wrote Candi Staton’s ‘Young Hearts Run Free’

It began when Candi Staton’s partner threatened to shoot her and ended with a rallying cry for women everywhere.

MAKING A MASTERPIECE

‘Like a long dead ghost trying to make contact’: how Wilco made Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Involving Cold War spy recordings, drug addiction and music industry landmarks, Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot has been called a fable and a masterpiece. David Rea does a deep dive into the plots and subplots which created the band’s greatest album.

MUSEUM OF YOUTH CULTURE ARCHIVE

A short history of youth culture in 10 iconic photos: punks, mods, ravers & more!

The Museum of Youth Culture’s extensive collection includes countless iconic photographs, amassed over three decades of archive building. Celebrating mods, punks, breakdancers, ravers and everyone in between, these images capture the vibrancy of youth cultures across the decades.

Punk and Skinhead girls at a gig, Hastings, 1981 | © Clare Muller / Museum of Youth Culture

EXPLORE THE PHOTO GALLERY HERE‍ ‍

STATE OF SOUND

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Photo: Bob Dylan; credit: Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy

REVIEWS

ALBUM REVIEW

Castle Park

Graham Coxon

Exploring adolescent romance and the passing of time, the album teems with Coxon’s familiar pop charms and is one of the strongest entries into his solo discography.

27 June 2026

NEW RELEASE

John Lennon Love (Meditation Mixes)

ALBUM REVIEW

The Demise of Planet X

Sleaford Mods

ALBUM REVIEW

The Former Site Of

The New Pornographers

ALBUM REVIEW

Wasted on Youth

The Molotovs

ALBUM REVIEW

All is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade

Of Monsters and Men

The 10 greatest alt-country albums, reviewed and ranked!

Alt-country has always given the polished twang of mainstream country a roughened edge, drawing from the countercultural snarl of punk, the kooky charms of indie pop, rockabilly, bluegrass or Southern rock. Here is our ranking of the greatest alt-country albums, from No. 10 to No. 1.

Image: James Lee / Unsplash

16 May 2026

SACRED 7

MAKING A MASTERPIECE

‘They all wanted to be the front man’: how the Stone Roses made their classic debut album

Beginning with shambolic preproduction, driven by a puritanical work ethic and featuring last-minute moments of inspiration, David Rea explores the novelistic story behind The Stone Roses’ classic debut album.

16 May 2026