Please donate to help save PopMatters. We are moving to WordPress in January out of necessity and need your help.

Travis Sound Exactly Like Travis on '10 Songs'

For their ninth album, 10 Songs, Scotland's Travis go back to basics.

                                      
Music
    
        Yachtclub101 Mix Synthpop and Cats on "Leave Me Alone" (premiere)
    
Sarah Zupko

        09 Sep 2020
    
Music
    
        Martin Green's Junkshop Yields the Gritty, Weird Story of Britpop Wannabes
    
Evan Sawdey

        14 Jul 2020
    
Music
    
        The Charlatans' 'Between 10th and 11th' Gets a Deluxe Edition
    
John Bergstrom

        13 Jul 2020

Recent

Music

DMA's Go for BritElectroPop on 'The Glow'

Aussie Britpoppers the DMA's enlist Stuart Price to try their hand at electropop on The Glow. It's not their best look.

Music

DMA'S Discuss Their Dancier New Album 'The Glow'

DMA'S lead-singer, Tommy O'Dell, discusses the band's new album The Glow, and talks about the dancier direction in their latest music.

Music

Ash Compile the Indie-Disco Classics on 'Teenage Wildlife'

Ash harnessed their teenage angst and energy and built a career on it, as you can hear on Teenage Wildlife, a career-spanning, hit-filled compilation album.

Music

Even the Misses Sound Like Hits on Supergrass' 'The Strange Ones 1994-2008'

Straight outta Britpop and straight to the top of the charts, and then gradually back down. When everyone was watching Oasis and Blur call each other names, they should have been listening to Supergrass.

Music

Super Furry Animals' 'Guerrilla' 20th Anniversary Set Is a Vital Re-Issue

Twenty years later, Guerrilla remains a self-contained joy and a great example of how unique, self-assured, and mature yet silly Super Furry Animals were at the turn of the century.

Music

Liam Gallagher Shows His Vulnerable Side on 'Why Me? Why Not.'

The lasting, overall impression of Why Me? Why Not. is Liam Gallagher discovering a belief in himself as an artist rather than simply as a singer in a rock 'n' roll band.

Music

The Kooks Play It a Little Too Safe on 'Let's Go Sunshine'

The Kooks' newest release Let's Go Sunshine offers an anthemic take on garage rock.

Music

'As I Was Now' Is the Most Personal, Revealing Music That Tim Burgess Has Released

Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess did some recording with his "dream supergroup" in 2008, then forgot to release it until now. Better late than never.

Music

Combining Hurt With Some Fun Works for Ash on 'Islands'

Now that Ash are back to making albums, they made one where all the songs truly count.

Music

Spacehog's Royston Langdon Returns As Leeds and Asks "What Became of the People" (premiere + interview)

Spacehog's Royston Langdon returns with a new guise and observations on isolation and the role of the artist with his new track "What Became of the People".

Jedd Beaudoin

Music

Manchester's Lucas Immortalizes "Anne Marie" With New Video, Single (premiere)

With nods from Cage the Elephant and Jimmy Page, Lucas' time in the sun is just around the corner as "Anne Marie" proves.

Jedd Beaudoin

Music

Did DMA's Have to Grow Up So Fast?

On their second album, For Now, Britpop revivalists from Down Under DMA's grow up too soon.

Music

Dear Boy Reveal "Love Interest" (video premiere)

Los Angeles band with a predilection for English sounds, Dear Boy, gets visual ahead of a tour with Rogue Wave.

Jedd Beaudoin

Music

Should Morrissey and Richard Ashcroft Just Give It Up, Already?

The biggest problem with being a faded genius is that nothing he or she ever produces again can be analyzed, critiqued, or appreciated in a vacuum. It all comes in the wake of their prior transcendental music.

Music

Britpop Popped: An Interview with Ex-Mansun Frontman Paul Draper

Paul Draper discusses a variety of topics from his early years in Liverpool to the acrimonious split of Mansun to his visit to the unofficial capital of all things extraterrestrial.

Music

The Jacks Offer Up a Slice of Assured Rock 'n' Roll on "Hello My Friend" (premiere)

The Jacks' "Hello My Friend" is Britpop with added Californian sunshine.

Music

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds: Who Built the Moon?

Noel Gallagher's third solo release after Oasis is a marked shift from previous outings, delivering a desire for experimentation that demonstrates his continued relevance as musician, songwriter, and performer.

Books

Paul Weller, The Style Council, The Jam: Weller's Always on a Roll

Too prolific an artist to pin down, still, it's not hard to wish that this book about each and every one of Paul Weller's solo albums could have been more engaging.

Music

Uncool Britannia: Radiohead's 'The Bends' vs. Britpop in a Battle for the Soul of Britain

The successors to Radiohead and The Bends are a generation who liked how the film started, but lost the script halfway through.

Music

Echobelly: Everyone’s Got One / On

Debut and follow-up albums from Echobelly re-released in expanded editions with b-sides, radio sessions and live material.

Music

Oasis: (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (Deluxe Edition)

Oasis' Morning Glory still holds up, which can be attributed to the fact that albums with this level of cultural clout and collective popularity tend to help define the sounds of their era.

Music

Basement: Further Sky EP

You might not be getting very much bang for your buck here, but the kindest thing you can say about this disc is that there's not a bad track in the bunch.

Music

The Crookes: Soapbox

Sheffield lads continue their run of exceptional, hook-laden indie pop with their latest release.

Music

Counterbalance No. 156: Pulp's 'Different Class'

You'll never live like common people. You'll never do what common people do. You'll never fail like common people. You'll never watch your life slide out of view and then dance and drink and screw, because there's nothing else to do. You can listen to the 156th most acclaimed album of all time.

Music

Sub Focus: Torus

It’s not for the hardcore heads, but it might sound nice to have some of that underground sound showing up on daytime radio.

Music

The Saint James Society: Bab(a/y)lon Rising

Ladies and gentlemen of the Saint James Society, it is time to get psychedelic.

Music

Post War Years: Galapagos

Galapagos can be said to be a record that’s in a perpetual state of flux, unsure of what it is that makes it truly special.

Music

Counterbalance No. 105: Oasis' 'Definitely Maybe'

In my mind my dreams are real. Are you concerned about the way I feel about the 105th most acclaimed album of all time? Too bad, because tonight I'm a rock 'n' roll star. Oasis’ 1994 debut is next.

Music

The View: Cheeky for a Reason

Some have marked this as a career best for the View, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that it has all come too late.

Music

Why the 'Blur 21' Box Set is Worth Your Time

Oh goodness yes, another box set from another highly-regarded band, but before you hit your cultural snooze alarm, take a look closer: this actually has everything fans could want, and more, especially when we hear it direct from the horse's mouth.

Music

Counterbalance No. 87: Oasis' '(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?'

Don't put your life in the hands of a rock 'n' roll band -- even if it did record the 87th Most Acclaimed Album of All Time. Oasis' Britpop colossus is next on Counterbalance.

Music

Ladyhawke: Anxiety

This is how the world ends; not with an ecstatic electro-bang but with a fuzz-bass Britpop whimper.

Features

20 Jazz Albums You Might Have Missed in 2020

Collapse Expand Features

BROWSE ALL ALBUM REVIEWS

Reviews

Collapse Expand Reviews

PM Picks

Collapse Expand Pm Picks

For their ninth album, 10 Songs, Scotland's Travis go back to basics.

Aussie Britpoppers the DMA's enlist Stuart Price to try their hand at electropop on The Glow. It's not their best look.

DMA'S lead-singer, Tommy O'Dell, discusses the band's new album The Glow, and talks about the dancier direction in their latest music.

Ash harnessed their teenage angst and energy and built a career on it, as you can hear on Teenage Wildlife, a career-spanning, hit-filled compilation album.

Straight outta Britpop and straight to the top of the charts, and then gradually back down. When everyone was watching Oasis and Blur call each other names, they should have been listening to Supergrass.

Twenty years later, Guerrilla remains a self-contained joy and a great example of how unique, self-assured, and mature yet silly Super Furry Animals were at the turn of the century.

The lasting, overall impression of Why Me? Why Not. is Liam Gallagher discovering a belief in himself as an artist rather than simply as a singer in a rock 'n' roll band.

The Kooks' newest release Let's Go Sunshine offers an anthemic take on garage rock.

Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess did some recording with his "dream supergroup" in 2008, then forgot to release it until now. Better late than never.

Now that Ash are back to making albums, they made one where all the songs truly count.

Spacehog's Royston Langdon returns with a new guise and observations on isolation and the role of the artist with his new track "What Became of the People".

With nods from Cage the Elephant and Jimmy Page, Lucas' time in the sun is just around the corner as "Anne Marie" proves.

On their second album, For Now, Britpop revivalists from Down Under DMA's grow up too soon.

Los Angeles band with a predilection for English sounds, Dear Boy, gets visual ahead of a tour with Rogue Wave.

The biggest problem with being a faded genius is that nothing he or she ever produces again can be analyzed, critiqued, or appreciated in a vacuum. It all comes in the wake of their prior transcendental music.

Paul Draper discusses a variety of topics from his early years in Liverpool to the acrimonious split of Mansun to his visit to the unofficial capital of all things extraterrestrial.

The Jacks' "Hello My Friend" is Britpop with added Californian sunshine.

Noel Gallagher's third solo release after Oasis is a marked shift from previous outings, delivering a desire for experimentation that demonstrates his continued relevance as musician, songwriter, and performer.

Too prolific an artist to pin down, still, it's not hard to wish that this book about each and every one of Paul Weller's solo albums could have been more engaging.

The successors to Radiohead and The Bends are a generation who liked how the film started, but lost the script halfway through.

Debut and follow-up albums from Echobelly re-released in expanded editions with b-sides, radio sessions and live material.

Oasis' Morning Glory still holds up, which can be attributed to the fact that albums with this level of cultural clout and collective popularity tend to help define the sounds of their era.

You might not be getting very much bang for your buck here, but the kindest thing you can say about this disc is that there's not a bad track in the bunch.

Sheffield lads continue their run of exceptional, hook-laden indie pop with their latest release.

Damon Albarn's got a new album arriving in a few days, and his band's most popular album commemorates its 20th birthday. What better time to pay tribute to the period when Blur put the "pop" in Britpop?

You'll never live like common people. You'll never do what common people do. You'll never fail like common people. You'll never watch your life slide out of view and then dance and drink and screw, because there's nothing else to do. You can listen to the 156th most acclaimed album of all time.

Following Nirvana's surprise ascent to stardom, no one knew what would be the next underground success story. Here are eight examples of where people post-Nevermind opted to place their bets.

It’s not for the hardcore heads, but it might sound nice to have some of that underground sound showing up on daytime radio.

Ladies and gentlemen of the Saint James Society, it is time to get psychedelic.

Galapagos can be said to be a record that’s in a perpetual state of flux, unsure of what it is that makes it truly special.

Here they come (again), the beautiful ones. As Suede returns with its first studio album in 11 years, PopMatters ranks the top a-sides by the influential yet seldom imitated band that kickstarted Britpop two decades ago.

In my mind my dreams are real. Are you concerned about the way I feel about the 105th most acclaimed album of all time? Too bad, because tonight I'm a rock 'n' roll star. Oasis’ 1994 debut is next.

Some have marked this as a career best for the View, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that it has all come too late.

As a tribute to the release of Oasis 1997 release Be Here Now, widely regarded as the beginning of the Britpop group' downfall, PopMatters will examine the overlooked parts of the band's body of work. This first list examines Oasis’ B-sides, where some of their true gems can be found.

Oh goodness yes, another box set from another highly-regarded band, but before you hit your cultural snooze alarm, take a look closer: this actually has everything fans could want, and more, especially when we hear it direct from the horse's mouth.

Don't put your life in the hands of a rock 'n' roll band -- even if it did record the 87th Most Acclaimed Album of All Time. Oasis' Britpop colossus is next on Counterbalance.

This is how the world ends; not with an ecstatic electro-bang but with a fuzz-bass Britpop whimper.