This the fourth full-length from Manchester trio The Orielles has been self-heralded as a completion of a cycle – a return, of sorts, to the indie, song-led roots of their 2018 debut ‘Silver Dollar Moment’. Tempering the unfettered experimentation of their last outing, 2022’s ‘Tableau’ (where tracks clocked in anywhere between 50 seconds and eight minutes), ‘Only You Left’ does indeed emerge as a more structured project, roughly bound by a central polarity of “wood versus metal” – categories inspired by the band’s dual studio locales of Hydra and Hamburg.
It’s a textural contrast that colours not just their lyricism – ‘The Woodland Has Returned’; ‘All In Metal’ – but their compositions, too, with the former characterised by organic instrumentation and unfurling harmonies, and the latter by harsher lines and atmospheric closeness.
Most interesting, though, are the moments these two material motifs converge: in ‘Shadow Of You Appears’, stabs of increasingly urgent, Psycho-like strings push to the point of elastic limit, before its propulsive, grounding guitar hook pulls us back from the brink; similarly, ‘Tears Are’ pairs the breathy cool of Esmé Hand-Halford’s airy vocals with grungy riffs and, later, an exhale of simple acoustic guitar, imbued with folky, bucolic warmth. Then there’s ‘Ember’ – built on skittish switchboard flashes and a resonant two-note bass refrain, it blossoms into an anxious, knife-edge soundscape of oppositional beauty.
By the record’s final third, however, its already loose ties are slackening, and the closing tracks start stretching to fill space beyond their timestamp, curiously all-consuming but intangible and untethered. A circle completed, then? Not quite – The Orielles have never dealt in such concise shapes.
There’s a lot to be said about consistency. From the release of his self-titled 2011 debut on, James Blake has maintained a spot at the top level of electronic music, entirely undeterred by ebbs and flows in the genre’s wider popularity. Now, for ‘Trying Times’, his first solo record in three years, James goes it alone. Self-released through his own Good Boy imprint, it foregoes much of his previous record’s density for a curated cherry pick of the individual elements that have driven his career. There’s the rhythmic simplicity of ‘Walk Out Music’, his trademark genre-hopping on the Dave-featuring ‘Doesn’t Just Happen’, and the largely lyricless underground fever dream of ‘Rest of Your Life’.
Elsewhere, there’s innovation on the soul led ‘Didn’t Come To Argue’, again featuring regular collaborator Monica Martin, the falsetto beaty of ‘Through The High Wire’, and an unexpectedly welcome orchestral flourish on cathartic closer ‘Just a Little Higher’. “Something’s wrong in the city I was born in,” James croons in its opening moments.
“I’m breaking, I hide it well,” he reveals on the title track, with it finding himself again in an exploration of the multiple components that build his sound. It seems that adversity has taken him back in and out of the clubs, between sombre reflections and ethereal hope, and ultimately to a record that couldn’t be more consistently him. It paints this, his seventh studio album, as a compendium of his best parts, and perhaps his first to truly do so.
Soda Blonde are an Irish alternative pop band from Dublin, Ireland, formed in 2019. The group consists of singer and songwriter Faye O’Rourke, guitarist and visual artist Adam O’Regan, bassist Donagh Seaver O’Leary, and drummer Dylan Lynch. All four members were previously part of the critically acclaimed indie band Little Green Cars before forming Soda Blonde following its disbandment.
Soda Blonde released their second studio album, “Dream Big“, in September 2023 through their independent label, Overbite Records. Written, produced, and mixed by the band themselves, the album marked a creative evolution for the group, showcasing a bolder and more expansive sonic palette than their debut. It incorporated elements of art-pop, rock, and folk, while retaining the emotionally charged lyricism and meticulous arrangements for which the band had become known
“Dream Big” explored ambition, disillusionment, and the psychological fallout of contemporary life. In interviews, the band described it as “a mature awakening to the world at large,” reflecting on systemic pressures and personal limitations in the pursuit of meaning and success. Songs like “Bad Machine” addressed cycles of self-sabotage and conformity, while “Midnight Show” and “Why Die for Danzig” delved into themes of media saturation, performativity, and existential dread.
“Dream Big” cemented Soda Blonde’s position as one of Ireland’s most innovative and self-sufficient indie bands.
Soda Blonde are: Faye O’Rourke Adam O’Regan Donagh Seaver O’Leary Dylan Lynch
Los Angeles six-piece The Sophs have ridden a wave of notoriety ever since signing to Rough TradeRecords on the strength of their demos. The band’s brutal honesty, flamingly intrusive thoughts, and broad genre-spreading caught the attention of the label immediately. At any moment, The Sophs are entering pop-punk; blazing through funk; talk-singing to the audience. Their enthusiasm for every iteration is evident, and Ramon’s rich, full voice deftly nestles into endless categories, utterly chameleonic. When they’re playing together in a room, you see nothing like the character they’re putting forward. Instead, you feel a bombastic, thrilling energy that underlies the sextet’s creative power.
After signing to Rough Trade Records on the strength of their demos – which they cold-emailed to lableheads Geoff Travis and Jeannette Lee before they ever even played a show. Following last year’s releases of stand-alone singles ‘I’m Your Fiend’, ‘Sweat’, and ‘Death in the Family’ and worldwide touring, the band are ready to unleash their debut album “Goldstar”.
Rough Trade heard the sort of creativity and variety — and “don’t expect me to act pretty” sentiment — that could get The Sophs — including Ramon, Sam Yuh (keyboards), Austin Parker Jones (electric guitar), Seth Smades (acoustic guitar), Devin Russ (drums), and Cole Bobbitt (bass) — a slot on nearly any stage. At any moment, The Sophs are entering pop-punk; blazing through funk; talk-singing to the audience. Their enthusiasm for every iteration is evident, and Ramon’s rich, full voice deftly nestles into endless categories, utterly chameleonic.
“We never try to be as versatile as we end up being,” Ramon said. “Goldstar” has a Delta Blues-style song; it has a ZZ Top-inspired tune. To some degree, The Sophs see song creation like pop art: they’re focused on the idea of reproducing something over and over again until it’s meaningless. “I want to steal and plagiarize and borrow,” Ramon explains.
Most of The Sophs’ songs don’t let the listener relax — mostly because you never know what’s coming next. The band has a passion for sudden and complete destruction, for playing with the tension between pulled-back silence and total explosion. That’s where you hear The Sophs members’ as they really are: explosively positive, happy, collaborative. Think of the “degenerative posturing” instead as a “jester’s privilege.” When they’re playing together in a room, you see nothing like the character they’re putting forward. Instead, you feel a bombastic, thrilling energy that underlies the sextet’s creative power.
Despite one of the first things on the album you hear being synth sounds that emulate the patter of raindrops, the elevating sensation you experience throughout this record is the kind of music that you associate with sun tans and warm grass. Yes, the overall feel of the record complements this sensation, but the beauty lies in much closer inspection, as things run deeper than a promise of Spring-soaked electronica.
Art School Girlfriend has dabbled more with experimentation on her third record, Lean In. Ditching the bedroom aesthetic for a studio, this self-produced epic is the kind of electronic pop album which even those who aren’t fans of the genre will no doubt get on board with. It’s a combination of minimalist and maximalist, the kind of record that has one overarching theme but where the individual songs contained under that umbrella are clearly distinct from one another.
That raindrop-like synth on the opening track, ‘Doing Laps’, is replaced with a building and pulsing sense of excitement in ‘LYATT’ as the words “Love you all the time” are repeated over and over again, donning a beat that doesn’t ever seem to drop but instead just continues riding high and keeps you there.
ASG dabbles with funk on this record as well, which you hear in tracks such as ‘The Field’, ‘Almost Transparent’ and ‘The Peaks’. Each of these walks a similar line sonically but is completely different to one another at the same time.
In complete contrast, other songs are slow, moving, and emotional. You can hear this on the likes of ‘Save Something’ and the closing number ‘Framer’, which still keeps that electronic pop style in its heart but gives you something that you could also put on in a dark room and get lost in.
No matter what your mood, there’s a song on this record for you, and they all combine to make a platter of human emotion served on top of a tray of otherworldly instrumentation. Perhaps the rationale behind this move is the mix of emotions that ASG admits to feeling while putting this album together. It’s truly a record that embodies a specific moment in time, as what she was feeling throughout the process of making the record is reflected in the songs themselves.
“A lot of things in parallel,” she called it, “Grief, joy, love, anxiety, hopelessness, hopefulness, the effects of age, capitalism, technology.” You can call it all of those things, as they’re ever-present. But I’ll save my breath slightly and simply refer to it as a masterpiece.
Despite their name potentially identifying themselves as maverick detectives from a 1970s detective show, or cast members of East Enders, Slags are actually rooted in the famously gusty city of Chicago, and Valentine’s Day Eve saw the release of their latest, long-awaited release; the five-track cassette “Playing Pretend”.
Fusing Devo-esque weirdo electronica with kitsch sensibilities and an unwaveringly punk attitude, the tape marks a particular highlight of this year’s egg-punk offerings. Written entirely by The Marshmallow Man, who, you would have to assume, is the cardboard bloke on the cover of the EP, “Playing Pretend” is charming in every aspect of its existence, but it maintains some genuinely fantastic song writing at its core.
“Crawford’s remarkable creative momentum continues with the arrival of a new Slags EP; a sugar-rush of impish synths and roguish hooks with a punk backbone. Disarmingly playful without ever tipping into excess. I can’t help but smile to it.”
Slags – ‘Playing Pretend’ Released February 13th, 2026 on Boot Liquor Records.
Foo Fighters Star In The Latest Issue Of MOJO! In his first in-depth interview for four years, Dave Grohl unveils a new chapter in his musical odyssey, previewing Foo Fighters’ incendiary new album, “Your Favorite Toy”, while still processing the fallout from Taylor Hawkins’ tragic passing. “Why do I keep doing this?” he asks MOJO’s David Fricke. “I don’t know the answer.”
Plus! This month’s cover CD is Foo FM: 15 tracks compiled by Dave Grohl and Nate Mendel exclusively for MOJO, featuring Queens Of The Stone Age, David Byrne, Nick Cave, Hüsker Dü, Fat Dog, Pissed Jeans, Kim Gordon and more!
Also in this month’s issue: The Clash– back to the beginning; Cocteau Twins’ Liz Fraser speaks; BadCompany’s blues, and soul; Record Store Day’s hidden gems. Plus: U2; Booker T; Joe Jackson; Alex Harvey; Sunn O))); Jackie DeShannon; Hiss Golden Messenger; Courtney Pine; The Seeds; The Beat; Chris Rea; Procol Harum and more!
The new issue of MOJO is on UK newsstands from Tuesday March 17th
MacGowan, the frontman of the band The Pogues, died in November 2023 at the age of 65. In tribute to him, Springsteen and The E Street Band performed “A Rainy Night in Soho” — from the 1986 Pogues EP “Poguetry in Motion” at three shows in Ireland in May 2024.
Bruce Springsteen’s new studio version of Shane MacGowan’s “A Rainy Night in Soho” is the first release from an upcoming tribute album, 20th Century Paddy: The Songs of Shane MacGowan.
The album will be released on November 13th, in three-LP and 2-CD formats, and digitally.
Other artists on “20th Century Paddy” include The Pogues, Tom Waits, Steve Earle, The High Kings, Hozier & Jessie Buckley, Johnny Depp & Imelda May, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Dropkick Murphys, Glen Hansard, The Libertines, David Gray, Primal Scream, Kate Moss, Damien Dempsey, Moya Brennan, Amble, Camille O’Sullivan, Cronin, Garron Noone, Johnny Mac & the Faithful, Liam Ó Maonlaí, Lisa Moorish & Another Day, Lisa O’Neill, LYRA, Madra Salach, Mundy, Picture This, Pinch of Snuff and The Murder Capital.
A complete list of tracks is not yet available.
Springsteen said in a press release:
Every once in a while, every once in a great while an artist comes along whose voice seems to speak to history itself. Woody Guthrie, Jimmy Rogers, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Miles Davis, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, John Coltrane, Patti Smith, James Brown, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, John Lydon, Hank Williams, Sinatra. Geniuses all, they were both timeless and the embodiment of their moment in time. Many, unsurprisingly, led difficult lives not easily bound by the shackles of convention. They were natural rebels unable to stifle or heed the impulses that led them to their glory and personal hardships.
Great art is by nature lawless. We do not get to choose our obsessions. We do not get to dictate our blessings or our transgressions. It’s a little joke the gods play on us. Shane’s voice was so deeply real, profane and honest, his writing so flashing, alive and historically rich its genesis appeared as a mystery to all including, I believe, its creator.
The dangerous joy, the glee and courage, the humor in the face of fate, the wild ramble of a life driven towards the artistic heavens and the daily balm of self obliteration. Shane was all naked bottomless humanity. Threatening to force us to ask ourselves if we were living deeply, authentically. He was raw, hilarious, no apologies and profound. His soul was filled with the transgressive and ecstatic properties of the saints. I don’t know who’ll be listening to my music in 100 years but I know they’ll be listening to Shane’s.
Though I did not know Shane very well, I spent a lovely afternoon in his presence shortly before he passed. He was not well but he and his wife Victoria proved warm and gracious hosts. As I left, I thanked him for his beautiful work, his music, his songs, his life. I stood in his warmth, kissed him and told him I loved him.
Fifty percent of artists royalties from the album will be the homelessness organization, Dublin Simon Community.
Billy Joel continues to release a steady stream of archival rarities unearthed during the creation of his acclaimed and revelatory 2025 HBO documentary, “And So It Goes”, via his YouTube channel. New visuals include the unreleased first-ever performance of the classic hit “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant (Live at CW Post),” Joel’s first TV appearance “Long, Long Time” (from WSIU The Session, February 1972), the unreleased performances of “Ain’t No Crime (Billy Joel Tonight),” “Stiletto (Live at The Summit),” in addition to the video for the 2022 mix “Allentown (Live From Long Island).”
“Billy Joel is a quiet, personal person… fishing is his thing. Billy’s from Long Island, one of those ‘overnight successes’ that took years to happen.”
Joel perform “Travelin’ Prayer” during a performance when he signed with Columbia Records in June 1973
Joel has also released a 155-track album, Billy Joel: “And So It Goes”, a digital-only companion piece that coincides with the two-part 2025 documentary of the same name that explores his life and music. The collection mirrors the tracks from the film and more, featuring iconic hits, alternative versions, and live renditions. The digital album, from Legacy Recordings, the catalogue division of Sony MusicEntertainment,
New audio also includes a brand new mix “Tomorrow Is Today (2025 Mix),” “You’re My Home (Live At Sparks),” an unreleased recording from the “Cold Spring Harbor” sessions “Everybody Has A Dream (Cold Spring Harbor Sessions),” “Vienna (Nuremberg Masterclass),” and “No Man’s Land (The Shelter Island Sessions),” an unreleased early studio session of the song from “River of Dreams”.
Additionally, the original 1985 release “Greatest Hits Volume I and II” returned to vinyl on August marking the 40th anniversary of one of the best-selling records of all time.
2025’s two-part HBO Original two-part documentary, Billy Joel: “And So It Goes” was directed by Emmy® winners Susan Lacy. Part one of the revelatory documentary debuted on HBO on July 18 with part two premiering one week later. (It is also available to stream on HBO Max.) The running time for each part is nearly two-and-a-half hours. Part one made its premiere at the opening of the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival on June 4 at New York’s Beacon Theatre. Of note, in some of that coverage, was the revelation that Joel had attempted suicide, not once but twice, during the early phase of his career.
The timing of the documentary’s release is all the more poignant given Joel’s announcement on May 23 that he has cancelled all of his concerts due to a brain disorder.
Billy Joel: “And So It Goes” is described as an expansive portrait of the life and music of the superstar musician, exploring the love, loss, and personal struggles that fuel his song writing. With unprecedented access to never-before-seen performances, home movies, and personal photographs, along with extensive, in-depth one-on-one interviews, the documentary intimately explores the life and work of Joel, whose music has endured across generations. Among those reflecting on Joel’s career are Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Sting and Garth Brooks. The most pivotal person in his career, Joel’s first wife, Elizabeth Weber, is a constant presence in part one, as featured in archival footage and in an extensive interview made specifically for the film.
In part one, Joel looks back on a childhood as the son of working-class parents on Long Island, the loss he felt at the age of eight when his father left the home, and his entry into the business of music. Acknowledging the mistakes he made along the way, Joel put everything he lived through into his music. As he went from keyboard player in local bands to striking out on his own, he discusses the love affair and first marriage with Weber that became the fuel for his early song writing hits, such as “Just the Way You Are” and “She’s Always a Woman.” His collaborators and peers illuminate his musical gifts, and Joel delves into the business deal he made that led to the writing of “Piano Man.”
After signing with Columbia Records, his career took off—with wife Elizabeth as his strong-willed manager—and years of hits and record-breaking tours followed, as he continued to channel his personal experiences into his music. While he chafed against the critical response to his music, struggled with his relationship to alcohol, and navigated a complicated personal life, a near fatal motorcycle accident impacted his ability to play piano and left his future unclear. How would he rebuild his career and move forward with his life?
“I’ve realized that life doesn’t always have a happy ending,” Joel says at the conclusion of part one.
In Part two: With his eighth studio album, “The Nylon Curtain”, Joel changed his musical focus by reflecting the grit and aspirations of the Everyman with songs such as “Allentown” and “Goodnight Saigon.” He recounts his complicated reunion with his long absent father and discovers the secret story of how his Jewish grandparents survived Nazi Germany which he distilled into his philosophical ballad “Vienna.” Recovering from years on the road, Joel vacations in St. Barths where he meets his future wife, supermodel Christie Brinkley, who would become the mother of his first child and the inspiration behind the hit “Uptown Girl.”
Dedicated to his craft, but uneasy with fame and the spotlight, Joel persevered through romantic and professional setbacks, choosing to reinvent himself time and time again. Later, with the support of his fourth wife Alexis Roderick Joel and their children, and through his collaboration with Elton John, a return to his classical roots, and his historic residency at Madison Square Garden, he continues to find a safe space in his music.
The documentary’s title is taken from the Joel song included on his 1989 album, “Storm Front”. While being interviewed on the red carpet prior to the 2024 Grammy Awards, Joel was asked, “if you could pick one song that was the definitive… song of your entire catalogue, what would it be?” His surprising answer was immediate, “And So It Goes.” The flummoxed interviewer, Laverne Cox, had clearly never heard of the song, and had no follow-up question.
In the announcement, Lacy said: “For those who think they know Joel’s story, as well as those who are not as familiar, I believe this two-part film is both a revelation and a surprise. I was drawn to his story as someone who knew little at the outset, and was astounded at how autobiographical his songs are and how complex his story is. We are gratified that Bill trusted us with his story, which we have told as honestly as possible, diving into territory which has not been explored before.”
Tom Hanks is listed as an executive producer along with Gary Goetzman, Todd Milliner, Sean Hayes and Steve Cohen.
Our new single “I Just Can’t Get Over Losing You”, Underneath its poppy exterior, “Look For Your Mind!“, contains an undercurrent of paranoia and suspicion. “I do think that now is a time of insanity,” admits Brian after pausing for thought. “You really have to hold onto your own mind if you don’t wanna lose it.”
New to this album is the inclusion of the live members Reza Matin (drums) and Danny Ayala (bass), as well as Eva Chambers of Tchotchke. With the D’Addario brothers, Brian and Michael, previously having handled everything in the studio themselves, this shows a newfound sense of freedom.
The ringing guitars of ‘I Just Can’t Over Losing You’ may create a familiarly pleasing mood, but when the bridge comes in at an unexpected time, the chorus is cut in half, and Brian and Eva’s harmonies build to its euphoric climax, the conventions for a pop song such as this are broken.
The Lemon Twigs’ two previous Captured Tracks albums, “A Dream Is All We Know” (2024) and “Everything Harmony” (2023), certainly indicated something of a ground zero in their then five album career. “It was the beginning of making records that we would listen to ourselves,” says Michael D’Addario, the younger Twig brother, now aged 26. By the time of “A Dream Is All We Know” and the future Michael classic “My Golden Years”, The Lemon Twigs’ new era had truly begun.
their album “Look For Your Mind!” out May 8th, 2026 on Captured Tracks
The Fat Angel Sings 