Super Electric Party Machine.

Larry Tee waxes lyrical about his quest for tomorrow’s sound, and what rock’n’roll is right now.

“I’ve had my biggest hits by doing things that I really shouldn’t do. In 1992, when I wrote ‘Supermodel’, it wasn’t the consensual wisdom that betting on a black transvestite would really make money. And it wasn’t something I did because I thought it would make a lot of money.”

[rating=4]
Released February 24, 2014
St. Vincent has delivered her most accessible, relatable, consistently engaging and sparky album to date. She just keeps getting better.

“The eponymous naming of the album adds credence and a confidence to how much this sounds like it could only be a St. Vincent album. Every second of it could have only come from Annie Clark’s own pen, her lips and guitar.”

[rating=5]
Released November 29, 2013
Rebecca Ferguson’s Freedom takes you on a genuine and emotional journey, with themes of melancholy, acceptance and empowerment.

“In a time, where the shock-tactics of Miley Cyrus are touted as female empowerment, women young and old would do very well to take this tremendous, genuine and emotional journey with Ferguson.”

[rating=3]
Released October 7, 2013
Bangerz is the highly enjoyable but flawed soundtrack to the rebirth of the post-Disney Miley Cyrus.

“Cyrus can really sing, passionately and with humour and drama when required (or she feels like it). She is extremely present throughout.”

[rating=4]
49:10 min • YOY • September 9, 2013
VV Brown has returned with 11 angry, desolate and soulful songs set against a unsettling, uncompromising soundtrack. It is a startling reinvention indeed.

“Samson & Delilah never goes too far, gets too crazy or attention seeking. The measured and meticulous tone and pacing of this album is a very large part of its success.”

[rating=5]
Released September 16, 2013
Ketevan traces Melua’s steps back to her earlier work and there is an effortless fusion of pop, jazz, rock and blues.

“Ketevan takes Melua back to the peerless blueprint of her previous albums, incorporating contemporary songwriting, the distinctive Mike Batt production and the hallmark sincere, layered and compassionate vibrato Melua vocal.”

[rating=4]
44:42 min • Domino • August 19, 2013
Julia Holter keeps moving forward at a tireless, restless place and on Loud City Song she had made something that is intimate, warm and more than ever before, relatable.

“Loud City Song is certainly Julia Holter’s most musical album to date and is structured in a way that, more than anything, is typical of a musical play, much like its references. It is simultaneously very old fashioned in its use of instruments and arrangements and modern in the way it stops short of any clear categorisation”

Cumming of Age: Erotica.

Little bastard in conversation with DJ, David Robson discuss Madonna’s commercial flop Erotica and the event taking place on Sunday August 18 which celebrates this forgotten album whilst raising money and awareness for HIV charity St. Stephens…

“From a young age I used to listen to Like A Virgin and I remember turning round to my Gran and saying, “What’s a virgin?” and my Gran would shit herself…”

There’s More to Queer Than Pop Divas.

There is more to queer music than the officially sanctioned slick-pop, says Walter Beck. There is an alternative.

“We stayed up most of the night making picket signs and getting ready. You think we were blasting Lady Gaga? Fuck no! We were getting ready to face the craziest bastards on the religious fringe to 100db of MC5’s Kick Out the Jams.”

Understanding Body Image

Polari talks to Harriet Parsons of Bodywhys a national organisation that supports people affected by eating disorders and discusses whether ‘healthy lifestyle’ messages being delivered in the wrong way.

“When you really think about how central our perception of our physical selves is to how we interact with the world, we can understand why it is such an important part of our identities.”