Latest music features

<p>A man crowd-surfs at End of the Road 2023</p>

In Focus

Beyond Glastonbury: The joy of smaller festivals

Louis Chilton speaks to artists and organisers about the wonders of the UK’s independent festival scene – and the precarious position it now finds itself in

<p>Two young music fans hitch a lift home from Woodstock Music and Arts Fair, August 1969</p>

Woodstock revisited: whatever happened to the hippie dream?

<p>Bloc party: ‘It was probably the only place in the world that was actually playing us back in them days,’ says Maiden bassist Steve Harris</p>

Interview

Iron Maiden’s 1984 World Slavery tour behind the Iron Curtain

<p>Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner, Self Esteem and Coldplay’s Chris Martin in front of Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’, David Bowie’s ‘Low’, The Beatles’ ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band’ and The White Stripes’ ‘Elephant’ </p>

the countdown

The 25 most overrated albums, ranked

Interviews

<p>Will Young: ‘It’s nice to talk about looking old and not feeling attractive’ </p>

Interview

Will Young: ‘It’s nice to talk about feeling old and unattractive’

<p>86TVs’ Felix White: ‘You spent a lot of your early life, if you’ve lost someone really young, being emotionally reactionary to things'</p>

interview

86TVs’ Felix White: ‘The way The Maccabees ended was heartbreaking’

<p>Steven Van Zandt: ‘Rock’n’roll was a very small cult, but me and Bruce really took it seriously right from the beginning'</p>

Interview

Steven Van Zandt: ‘Every star needs reminding they were once nobody’

<p>Nell Mescal: ‘I’m grateful for all my experiences, but I definitely was going through things that I probably shouldn’t have been at that age’ </p>

Interview

Nell Mescal: ‘Rumours about my brother make my skin crawl’

Music Box

Boston trio Tiny Habits perform ‘Wishes’ for Music Box session

The Mysterines perform ‘The Last Dance’ for Music Box

Rita Ora performs new single ‘Ask And You Shall Receive’

On Trend

New Sensations

Interview

Rachel Chinouriri: ‘I’m a Black girl making indie music’

<p>Motley blue: the band have a formidable live reputation </p>

interview

Blue Bendy’s Arthur Nolan: ‘I see a lot of myself in Kendall Roy’

<p>‘When I think about Madonna, Lady Gaga, Janet Jackson, Britney and Gwen Stefani, I think my album has the same fundamental pop cues that those albums have had,’ says 29-year-old pop star Amaarae </p>

interview

Pop star Amaarae: ‘African artists are all lumped under one umbrella’

Reviews

<p>Although some fans have expressed surprise at Posty’s decision to swap his cornrows for a Stetson, it turns out he always said he’d go country at 30</p>

On his new album, Post Malone two-steps his way into country

Malone’s sixth album features a rhinestone constellation of collaborations with some of country’s biggest names

<p>Beatrice Laus releases her third album under the moniker Beabadoobee</p>

Beabadoobee steps out from behind the rag rug of scuzzy guitar noise

Beatrice Laus plays with breezy-trippy Bossa Nova and glossy, Swiftian country-plucked-pop

Live music

<p>Big Thief were the real deal</p>

Green Man festival’s spectacular lineup matches the sublime settings

<p>Frank Carter takes the place of the inimitable frontman for this Bush Hall bash </p>

No John Lydon, but the Sex Pistols are still plenty punk without him

<p>Sampha’s warm and understated voice swirls over jittery synth lines for his ethereal song ‘Suspended’ </p>

This year’s wholesome Øya festival delivers a stellar lineup

<p>Jessie Ware gets feet moving with a flirty disco set on day three</p>

Jessie Ware and Barry Can’t Swim triumph at Wilderness festival

Retrospectives

<p>There has been much speculation that Manson’s rejection by the music industry sparked his murderous plans</p>

The dark musical legacy left by evil mass murderer Charles Manson

<p>Early triumph: the Oscar-winning actor and singer Cher in 1973</p>

Cher determination: The scandal and survival of an immortal star

<p>The band’s hit song ‘Rock’n’roll Star’ made for a customarily dazzling opening – but things quickly went downhill</p>

Was 2004 the worst Glastonbury? If you were an Oasis fan, then yes

<p>Pretty, calming and aggressively OK: Dido’s 1999 album ‘No Angel’ </p>

The pleasure and tedium of Dido’s No Angel at 25

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