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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
KYLE EASTWOOD QUINTET bring Clint’s film legacy to life at Palladino’s
Film history, family legacy and first-rate musicianship: Kyle Eastwood and his quintet made it all look effortless at Palladino's in Cardiff.
REBEL GRRRLS interrogates punk culture through a feminist lens
Rebel Grrrls ends by striking the right note: celebrating punk’s current revival as a feminist force while warning against hypocrisy and complacency.
Review: barn-bound Monmouthshire festival THE WEEKEND RUMBLE
The Weekend Rumble, in the beautiful Monmouthshire countryside, is one of many small but perfectly formed festivals dotted around Wales.
“Wales is very close to our hearts”: BIFFY CLYRO get set to conquer Cardiff Castle
Joshua Williams caught up with Biffy Clyro drummer Ben Johnston, ahead of the Glasgow trio's Cardiff Castle show at the end of July.
SQUID guitarist ANTON PEARSON unveils ambient abilities on debut solo album
Perhaps closest to something like Brian Eno’s Apollo, Anton Pearson brings an unsettling, concentrated atmosphere to Driving Through Belgium.
CONFESSIONS II is MADONNA’s return to the dancefloor, with SABRINA CARPENTER in tow
While the glitter may have to settle to truly assess Confessions II, for now this disco-infused Madonna is important as Vogue or Ray Of Light.
London’s ALEWYA has created a diasporic dance-pop future classic with her debut album
Alewya’s debut album is the perfect example of two cultures blending together to create something beautiful, exciting and unique.
Psych-rockers TEMPLES make ravey pivot on album five, with muddled results
Reminiscent of a 90s Ibiza Temples were too young to experience, Bliss follows the arc of a night out: exuberant come-up, inevitable letdown.
KATY PERRY spikes her fluffy pop hits with industrial language in Cardiff
I was left flummoxed and disappointed by Katy Perry's performance, interspersed as it was by her ramblings on matters of AI and outer space.