The latest from Bristol institution TRICKY could be his finest post-millennium album
Tricky's latest emotional bruiser of an album could arguably be his finest – yep, even surpassing Maxinquaye, his 1995 debut.
Culture
Explore the culture of Wales through Buzz Magazine's extensive and exclusive cultural features, previews, reviews, interviews and listings.
Arena-sized intimacy: RICHARD ASHCROFT smashes out the anthems at Cardiff Castle
Ex-Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft delivered a confident performance packed with anthems that stretched back more than three decades.
Welsh theatre on the world stage at this year’s EDINBURGH FRINGE
Four Welsh productions are at August's Edinburgh festival: Songs From Across The Sueniverse, Frogs In Bogs, Circle Of Fifths and Owl At Home.
Leeds artrockers YARD ACT blend their trademark sound with some unexpected turns
There’s pithy, thought-provoking social commentary laced with humour throughout Yard Act's third album, making it an intriguing listen.
Catch this wave: ALICIA UPANO builds her debut novel around a tsunami
Alicia Upano has crafted a debut novel full of emotion, heartache and discovery, which follows the aftermath of a tsunami in Hawaii.
Interview: Chris Jones of the CREATIVE STUFF NEWTOWN collective
The third part of Julia Deli’s megafeature on her weekend at the Workhouse Party in Llanfyllin profiles the Creative Stuff Newtown collective.
Displacement, exile, grief, belonging and love: NAEEM MURR’s first novel in 20 years
It’s been 20 years since Naeem Murr was last published in the UK, and Every Exit Brings You Home is a reflective work of literary fiction.
Nixon, Hugh Hefner and Bobby Kennedy lurk in noir don JAMES ELLROY’s latest novel
James Ellroy, the boss of concisely-written fast-on-the-draw prose, returns with another slice of relentlessly gripping Los Angeles-based noir.
Interview: SIONED CAMLIN of Twmffat, Mascot Moth and the Workhouse Party
The second part of Julia Deli’s megafeature on Workhouse Party in Llanfyllin focuses on Sioned Camlin and one of her bands, folky types Twmffat.
RHIANNON GRIST’s debut novel turns domestic mundanity into psych-horror
Home Sick is a psychological horror that will make you wonder whether something lurks behind even the most ordinary of encounters.
DAVID GRAY and THE DIVINE COMEDY serenade the Saturday sunset
Backed by a superb band, the arrangements were rich and textured, allowing David Gray’s unmistakable voice to remain at the heart of the performance.
Welsh borderland festival the WORKHOUSE PARTY is small but perfectly formed
Whirling dervish of the Welsh underground festival circuit, Julia Deli, went to Llanfyllin in north Powys last month for the Workhouse Party.
Quebecois oddities TRUCK VIOLENCE splice noiserock and folk live in Newport
Whilst Truck Violence outside of the mainstream, it’s easy to envisage them filling larger spaces when they play with this much passion.
ADAM GARCIA on playing THE BODYGUARD and the changing world of theatre
Adam Garcia has donned many theatrical hats, and returning to Wales in The Bodyguard, he embraces a more understated role as Frank Farmer.
850 years of the EISTEDDFOD, Wales’ greatest cultural gathering
The story of the National Eisteddfod begins in Cardigan circa 1176, and 850 years later the festival writes its latest chapter in nearby Llantwd.
German techno boss ELLEN ALLIEN’s first album in six years is hard and fast
From the off, Ellen Allien is firing on all cylinders production-wise: if you like your techno hard, fast and driving, New Life is for you.
Devilish noise & Lynchian tributes: new depths in Xiu Xiu’s ERASERHEAD album
Xiu Xiu have always been open about their adoration of David Lynch, with this quasi-soundtrack to his movie Eraserhead the most potent proof yet.
When birdmen flew: fantastic(al) tales of London’s sharp ends in ANIMAL NIGHTLIFE
Animal Nightlife is a head-spinning work that jumps back and forth between brash street-level realness and passages of fantastical zoomorphism.
Revered psych-rockers PANDA BEAR & SONIC BOOM regroup for their second album together
It’s great to hear both Noah ‘Panda Bear’ Lennox’ and Pete ‘Sonic Boom’ Kember not resting on their laurels or ploughing the same furrow.
Forget Queen and American Idol, this is ADAM LAMBERT as you’ve never heard him before
Adam Lambert, American Idol runner-up turned Queen frontman, has gone back to his formative 90s inspirations for this rock-solid solo record.
Silver fox BILLY OCEAN and Scottish fox MARTI PELLOW roll back the years in Cardiff
As we depart, Billy Ocean's biggest hit Caribbean Queen rings round the streets of Cardiff: a perfect end to a perfectly sultry night.
DIRTY BLOND: turning heartbreak into something shared
Bridgend songwriter Corey Sanders is stepping out of the shadows as Dirty Blond – transforming heartbreak, honesty and male vulnerability into song.
Winehouse, McCartney and the blues all feature in the ROLLING STONES’ latest
There’s a lot to like on the Stones' latest album, though you wish someone had been brave enough to turn these 14 tracks into a leaner set.
ELGAN RHYS’ debut novel PLESERA is a profound, moving slice of Welsh-language fiction
Despite discussing difficult themes, these are conveyed in such a sensitive manner it only adds to the emotional aspect of Plesera's characters.