Music
What we’re excited for at SXSW 2026
Austin 40 — For the festival’s 40th anniversary edition, we are heading to Texas to join one of the biggest global meetups of the year. We’ve selected a few things to highlight on your schedules.
Written by: Huck
Wu-Tang Clan forever, and ever
The Final Chamber — RZA, the spiritual leader of one of the most important hip hop groups of all time explains why they won’t rest until their legacy is secured.
Written by: Yoh Phillips
On The Mountain, Jamie Hewlett’s Gorillaz explore life after death
Going East — As everyone’s favourite animated band release their latest album, the visual artist behind it all catches up with Josh Jones to chat about the grief and spirituality underlining the record, as well as his learnings from how other cultures approach death and the afterlife.
Written by: Josh Jones
Lisette Model’s ’50s jazz pictures were nearly lost to McCarthyism
The Jazz Pictures — A landmark new book edited by Audrey Sands uncovers nearly 1,500 photographs from the genre’s golden age previously thought to be lost. Featuring the likes of Billie Holliday, Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong, they tell both a story of music and resistance in the face of oppression.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Analogue Appreciation: Murkage Dave
Brut Thoughts — In an ever more digital, online world, we ask our favourite artists about their most cherished pieces of physical culture. Today, alt-pop chronicler of modern life, Murkage Dave.
Written by: Murkage Dave
Analogue Appreciation: Searows
Death in the Business of Whaling — In an ever more digital, online world, we ask our favourite artists about their most cherished pieces of physical culture. Today, Portland hauntologist Searows.
Written by: Searows
The story of World Headquarters, the beating heart of Newcastle’s underground
Refuge & ruckus — Sprouting from free party roots, the nightclub institution has been an inclusive pillar of the North East’s music scene since the early ’90s. Olivia Fee dives into its long history, evolution, and ongoing importance.
Written by: Olivia Fee
Bandcamp bans AI generated music
Human creativity — The new policy applies to music created “wholly or in substantial part” using artificial intelligence tools, with its team reserving the right to remove any suspected tracks from the platform.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Meet Nepal’s singing seismologist centring earthquake safety through music
Tectonic Folk — In remote mountainous regions, potentially life-saving information in the face of disasters can be difficult to access. Shiba Subedi is blending ancient musical traditions and modern scientific knowledge to spread knowledge and awareness.
Written by: Jyoti Thakur
“Blokes, birds & Bonnevilles”: Inside the ’80s revival of bikers & rockers
Rockers Reunion Club — Decades after their mid-century heyday, leather clad, guitar loving motorbike riders saw a renaissance in London. Photographer Phil Polglaze’s new photobook revisits its blaring, revving parties and rides.
Written by: Miss Rosen
No charges over Bob Vylan Glastonbury IDF chants, police confirm
Case closed — The investigation has been dropped, with Avon and Somerset Police saying that it did not meet the threshold for prosecution.
Written by: Ella Glossop
Remembering the riotous heyday of Asbury Lanes
Lightning in a Bottle — In a rundown seaside town, the bowling alley turned punk and rock destination helped transform the fortunes of its surroundings. A new retrospective book and exhibition from Mike McLaughlin revisits its grit and glory of its ’00s peak.
Written by: Jon Coen
