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Joanna Newsom: arc of a diver

It’s time for breakfast in LA with JOANNA NEWSOM. In this extract from Jaan Uhelszki’s interview with Newsom in Uncut’s November 2015 issue (Take 222), she prepares to reveal the mysteries of her magical fourth album, Divers… East of the Hollywood sign and a mile and a half straight downhill from the three imposing Art Deco orbs of the Griffith Observatory lies Los Feliz. It’s a town whose history is stowed discreetly beneath the lacy purple jacaranda and ancient pepper trees that line its well-scrubbed sidewalks. This is where Walt Disney drew his first sketches of Mickey Mouse and where Courtney Love first showed her “Celebrity Skin”, stripping off at Jumbo’s Clown Room for the lordy sum of $300. Since 2008 or so, the hipster glitterati have been increasingly congregating here in their hoodies, yoga pants and cross-bodies, clutching paper cups from The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and sharing counter space with the likes of Ryan Gosling, Scarlett Johansson and Dakota Johnson. But Los Feliz wasn’t always such an appealing place. Two days after killing Sharon Tate and four others at Roman Polanski’s Beverly Hills home, Charles Manson’s followers travelled east 11 miles and brutally murdered grocery store owner… Read More →

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Watch Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker talk through writing ‘Mile End’ for ‘Trainspotting’ and his favourite films

Pulp‘s Jarvis Cocker has opened up about the creation of their song ‘Mile End’ for Danny Boyle‘s film Trainspotting. The iconic frontman was the latest guest of Criterion‘s Closet Picks series on YouTube. The series sees select artists visit the American home-video distribution company’s DVD closet and allows them to choose and explain their favourite films from the Criterion collection. While picking his favourite films, Cocker mentioned Trainspotting, the 1996 classic which follows the lives of a group of heroin addicts and their friends living in Leith, Edinburgh. Pulp’s song ‘Mile End’ appeared on the soundtrack to the film. [embedded content] Advertisement Speaking about the creation of the track, Cocker said: “We were making the ‘Different Class’ record, and we recorded pretty much all the songs and then we got this message saying, ‘There’s a guy making a film,’ and could you write a song for it. So there’s a scene in this film – it’s a spoiler if you’ve not seen it, but it doesn’t give away too much of the plot – But there’s a scene where Ewan McGregor’s character goes into a toilet and some drugs have been flushed down it, and he goes down into the… Read More →

Tangled Up In Cool: Bryan Ferry on Bob Dylan

In 2006, with work on a much-anticipated new Roxy Music LP on hiatus, BRYAN FERRY recorded a collection Bob Dylan covers – The Dylan Album. In this extract from our interview with Ferry in Uncut’s March 2007 issue (Take 118), Stephen Troussé meets the Geordie Jay Gatsby to discuss soul boys, jazz clubs, Dylan and more… I’m sitting down in Bryan Ferry’s west London studios, checking back through my notes one last time before we begin to talk about his new album, when the man himself appears – still that distractedly dashing mix of minor Royal, dreamy academic and doomed romantic: the Geordie Jay Gatsby. Ever the stickler for accessories and minor details, he comments approvingly on my chunky new notebook. Oh, I tell him, it’s one of those stupidly overpriced ones that try and con you out of believing that you’re joining the ranks of Picasso and Hemingway simply by owning one. “Ah yes,” he says, taking out his own. “I have to use these slim things. They fit into my jacket pocket, but there’s not much room for many details…” Advertisement You could take this as a classic Ferry comment – the dapper poet, unwilling to spoil the… Read More →

The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time…Ranked!

Expand your collection and hear more great music… How do you go about making a great album? We can know them when we hear them, enjoy the music down the decades, and – best of all – discover a new one when one sneaks up on us unexpectedly. But with the best will in the world, the readers and compilers of publications like ours are probably always destined to guess at this magic from the outside, forever pressing our noses up against the glass. Advertisement If, like Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera, you were actually behind that glass contributing to the greatness of albums like Avalon or For Your Pleasure, then you’ve clearly got a much better idea. But as the genial musician/producer explains to us on the following pages, that doesn’t mean that you’re not prey to unexpected forces while you’re doing so. You might be fighting a misfiring tape machine. Or you might find tension. While one person thinks they’re making a commercial record, another (like, say, Brian Eno) might think that they’re making something a bit more avant garde. But that, as Phil tells us, isn’t necessarily a problem. “When there is some tension in the creative process,… Read More →

Kraftwerk, Psychedelic Furs, Jesus & Mary Chain for Forever Now festival

Kraftwerk, The The, Death Cult, Billy Idol, Johnny Marr, The Psychedelic Furs, The Jesus and Mary Chain and Happy Monday are among the names announced for Forever Now, a brand new one-day festival launching at The National Bowl, Milton Keynes on June 22, 2025. THE NEW ISSUE OF UNCUT FEATURES KATE BUSH, QUINCY JONES, THE WEATHER STATION, THE DAMNED AND OUR ESSENTIAL 2025 PREVIEW – ORDER YOUR COPY NOW The line-up also includes The Damned, Public Image Ltd, Berlin, Theatre of Hate, Chameleons and The Motels. The festival title, of course, comes from the title of the Furs’ second album. Says the band, “Forever Now started as an idea…then became a song….then an album…and has lived on through the years. Now it’s also become a gathering of some legendary musicians on one day in one place, which we are proud to be part of…” Tickets for Forever Now are available from here.

Elvis Costello to revisit “early songs” on tour

Elvis Costello & The Imposters are heading out on an American tour in 2025, performing Costello’s early repertoire from My Aim Is True to Blood & Chocolate. THE NEW ISSUE OF UNCUT FEATURES KATE BUSH, QUINCY JONES, THE WEATHER STATION, THE DAMNED AND OUR ESSENTIAL 2025 PREVIEW – ORDER YOUR COPY NOW Advertisement Joined by Charlie Sexton, Radio Soul! The Early Songs Of Elvis Costello tour opens in Seattle on June 12 and runs through to July 12 in Miami Beach. Elvis Costello & The Imposters, joined by Charlie Sexton, is excited to announce the ‘Radio Soul! The Early Songs Of Elvis Costello’ Tour! These summer shows will feature numbers drawn from ‘My Aim Is True’ to ‘Blood & Chocolate’, along with other surprises. pic.twitter.com/fxNSN7ZUWz — Elvis Costello (@ElvisCostello) December 10, 2024 “For any songwriter, it has to be a compliment if people want to hear songs written up to 50 years ago,” says Costello. “You can expect the unexpected and the faithful in equal measure. Don’t forget this show is ‘Performed by Elvis Costello & the Imposters’, an ensemble which includes three people who first recorded this music and two more who bring something entirely new.” Advertisement He continued:… Read More →

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GFRIEND reunite to perform medley of hits, including ‘Glass Bead’, ‘Rough’ and more

K-pop girl group GFRIEND have reunited to perform a medley of some of their most popular hits. In the latest episode of Dingo Music’s Killing Voice series,GFRIEND – who have been inactive since their contract with Source Music ended in 2021 – came together to perform their hit songs live ahead of their upcoming 10th anniversary release. GFRIEND kicked off the performance with their debut single ‘Glass Bead’, following up with their early hits ‘Me Gustas Tu’ and ‘Navillera’. They went on to sing some of their later singles, including ‘Crossroads’, ‘Apple’ and their last single ‘Mago’. Other songs the group sang include singles like ‘Fingertip’, ‘Summer Rain’, ‘Rough’ and ‘Time for the Moon Night’, the Korean version of Japanese single ‘Flower’. They also performed fan-favourite B-sides like ‘Three of Cups’, ‘Rainbow’, ‘Here We Are’ and ‘Eclipse’. Advertisement [embedded content] Earlier this month, GFRIEND and Source Music announced their upcoming reunion project ‘Season of Memories’, which will commemorate the group’ tenth anniversary. The special album will be preceded by a pre-release track on January 6 before its full release on January 13. Members Sowon, Yerin and Yuju have gone on to pursue solo music and acting careers after leaving Source… Read More →

Julia Holter – My Life In Music

LA’s musical magic realist reveals her loud city songs: “There’s sorrow and ecstasy and all the feelings” THE NEW ISSUE OF UNCUT FEATURES KATE BUSH, QUINCY JONES, THE WEATHER STATION, THE DAMNED AND OUR ESSENTIAL 2025 PREVIEW – ORDER YOUR COPY NOW Advertisement LINDA PERHACS Parallelograms KAPP RECORDS, 1970 Advertisement One of the first shows I ever played was a big Linda Perhacs event in 2009. I met her there, and I got really deep into her music. I loved how she was just her own person. Even though she was part of a scene in Topanga Canyon, she was on her own plane. Her sense of melody and harmony is kind of incredible, and she made this record out of nowhere. There are definitely elements of the harmonies of that period, but I think Linda’s always been a visionary. I worked with her for a long time and her music has inspired me in a lot of ways. It has a very unique sensitivity to tone, to sound, to timbre, and her lyrics are so evocative. SIMONE FORTI Al Di Là SALTERN, 2018 I’ve become acquainted with Simone Forti through Tashi [Wada, Holter’s husband and collaborator]. She’s an important… Read More →

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Watch Usher’s disturbed viral reaction to fan suggestively eating cherry at concert

Usher has gone viral for his less-than-impressed response to a fan suggestively eating a cherry during one of his live shows. The singer is currently underway with his huge ‘Past Present Future’ tour, which is currently making its way across the US, before heading across the pond in 2025. At one of the recent stops, fan-captured footage showed Usher looking somewhat perturbed as a fan began seductively eating a cherry in front of him while he walked through the crowd. The moment came mid-way through the set, as a woman in the audience locked eyes with the singer and began lathering a cherry in spit. For the majority of the clip, all can be seen of Usher is the back of his head as he stands frozen in place. Towards the end, however, the camera turns around and shows him looking disturbed by what he just witnessed. Advertisement The video soon went viral across social media. Check it out below. @travelmoore2022 Tonight was fun PPF tour ♬ original sound – Ms. Moore Travel Agent/Mentor The cherry shenanigans have become an increasingly popular occurrence at Usher’s shows in recent weeks, and often take place as he walks through the audience with… Read More →

Inside the making of A Complete Unknown: “Bob Dylan’s recollections were critical”

Next month, James Mangold’s film A Complete Unknown opens in cinemas, bringing to the big screen the early years of BOB DYLAN, from folk interloper to his electric apostasy at Newport in 1965. In this extract from from Uncut’s January 2025 issue, we discover how much involvement Dylan himself had in this cinematic undertaking.. CLICK HERE TO READ UNCUT’S REVIEW OF A COMPLETE UNKNOWN Advertisement LOS Angeles, 2020. Although the city is in lockdown, a coffee shop has been opened for the morning for the exclusive use of two illustrious customers. James Mangold, the director of Walk The Line, is there to meet Bob Dylan, who has been quarantining in town since his Never Ending Tour was mothballed due to the pandemic. Sitting opposite one another in a booth, they are there to discuss Mangold’s plans for a movie based on Dylan’s first years in New York. The implication is his decision to go electric will eventually be titled A Complete Unknown. THE NEW ISSUE OF UNCUT FEATURES KATE BUSH, QUINCY JONES, THE WEATHER STATION, THE DAMNED AND OUR ESSENTIAL 2025 PREVIEW – ORDER YOUR COPY NOW “On that very first meeting, as we sat together drinking coffee, one of… Read More →

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Halsey to write dark comedy TV series called ‘Bloodlust’

Halsey is set to make their screenwriting debut with dark comedy TV series Bloodlust for Amazon Prime Video. Halsey revealed the news yesterday (December 10) via Variety, adding in a social media post: “very excited to embark on this journey with some of the best people that I know. more to say later. for now, there’s work to do”, they wrote. Variety reported that the pop artist – who released ‘The Great Impersonator’ this year – will serve as the creator, writer, and executive producer of Bloodlust but will not star in the show. MaXXXine mastermind Ti West is attached as director and executive producer – the horror film saw Halsey appear as Tabby Martin, a porn star and friend of Mia Goth’s Maxine Minx. Advertisement Last month, a new version of Juice WRLD’s 2018 hit ‘All Girls Are The Same’ featured contributions by Halsey and Nicki Minaj. Halsey’s ‘The Great Impersonator’ and album cut ‘Lonely Is The Muse’ ended up on NME‘s 50 best albums of 2024 and 50 best songs of 2024 respectively. Recommended On the album, Kirsten S. He wrote: “From post-hardcore and alt-rock to country and synthpop, Halsey’s fifth album uses the music they grew up… Read More →

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Is Cillian Murphy dead in ’28 Years Later’? All the evidence from the trailer

The first official trailer for 28 Years Later has finally been shared and many fans fear that Cillian Murphy‘s character may have come to a sorry end. It was previously confirmed that Murphy, who played bicycle courier Jim in the first movie in the series 28 Days Later, would be returning for the current sequel “in a surprising way and in a way that grows [the character]”. Although it has not been confirmed, one of the zombies in the trailer bore a striking resemblance to the Oscar winner. Fans have also been speculating with one writing: “I swear to god, this better not be Jim in #28YearsLater because if it is you ruined my excitement for Cillian’s return to the franchise by infecting him.” Advertisement Another added: “Either Cillian Murphy is having fun with a double role or Jim does not have a happy ending in his fate.” I swear to god, this better not be Jim in #28YearsLater because if it is you ruined my excitement for Cillian’s return to the franchise by infecting him pic.twitter.com/GDdTRnpb00 — WanderDragon99 🇮🇪 (@WanderDragon99) December 10, 2024 Either Cillian Murphy is having fun with a double role or Jim does not have a… Read More →

A Complete Unknown

When the wild, rambling film of Rolling Thunder Revue was released back in 2019, it came with the subtitle “a Bob Dylan story by Martin Scorsese”, in what felt like a nod to the endless stream of franchise extensions that come tagged as “a Star Wars story” or “a Mad Max saga”. It cutely suggested that, with the MCU floundering, the 2020s might see a full flowering of the Bob Dylan Extended Universe, with movies, miniseries and, eventually, collectable figurines dedicated to the lost highways, side quests and minor characters of “My Back Pages“. THE NEW ISSUE OF UNCUT FEATURES KATE BUSH, QUINCY JONES, THE WEATHER STATION, THE DAMNED AND OUR ESSENTIAL 2025 PREVIEW – ORDER YOUR COPY NOW Advertisement If so, then A Complete Unknown is the A New Hope of the Bobiverse, telling our hero’s journey in time honoured fashion. A young farmboy, raised in the wastelands of the midwest, heeds the call of a shambling, hermetic mentor (Woody Guthrie), and travels to the distant planet of Greenwich Village, 1961, where he absorbs the force of the folk revival. He falls in with an eccentric band of rogues (Dave Van Ronk, Albert Grossman, Johnny Cash), meets what seems… Read More →

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Listen to Miley Cyrus’ new single, ‘Beautiful That Way’, for Pamela Anderson-starring film

Miley Cyrus has released a new single, ‘Beautiful That Way’, written and recorded for a new Pamela Anderson film titled The Last Showgirl. Listen to it below. Read More: Miley Cyrus – ‘Endless Summer Vacation’ review: a potent reclamation of power The Last Showgirl, directed by Gia Coppola, sees Anderson playing the role of a seasoned showgirl who attempts to navigate life after the closure of her long-running Las Vegas show. Cyrus’ ballad, co-written by Lykke Li and Andrew Wyatt – and which has been nominated for a Golden Globe under Best Original Song – sees a tender exploration of feeling lost, which Cyrus described to Variety as sonically a “love letter” to the film. Listen to ‘Beautiful That Way’ below. [embedded content] Advertisement Cyrus shared with Variety her life-long admiration of Anderson: “Pamela is deeply embedded into my earliest memories with my mother,” said Cyrus. “We both worshipped Pam and still do. I took the emotion I have towards those times with my mom and the few times we’ve gotten to spend with Pam. I thought a lot about what this film means to her not just as an actress but as the special person that she is.” “I celebrate evolution… Read More →

Inside this month’s free Uncut CD – Nocturnes: the month’s best new music

Mogwai, Eddie Chacon, The Innocence Mission, Bridget Hayden & The Apparitions and Euros Childs all appear on the latest free Uncut CD. The compilation, entitled Nocturnes, comes with the January 2024 issue of Uncut, and showcases the month’s best new music. Advertisement See below for more on the full tracklisting… ORDER A COPY DIRECT FROM US HERE 1 Brown SpiritsMind Rocker (Part 1)We kick off our exploration of this month’s best new music with a slice of grooving motorik garage from Melbourne’s Brown Spirits. The duo’s latest offering, Cosmic Seeds, continues their journey into kraut-centred deep space, but with an extra helping of analogue funk. Advertisement 2 Rose City BandRadio SongRipley Johnson doesn’t change the formula on Rose City Band’s new album, Sol Y Sombra, but there’s no need when he’s creating choogling, rolling delights like this, with lilting pedal steel and a psychedelic propulsion. 3 Bridget Hayden & The ApparitionsShe Moved Through The FayreTodmorden-based Hayden is best known for her work with experimental and noise music, yet her spectacular new LP, Cold Blows The Rain, is a collection of spectral, dour traditional folk, with the singer and multi-instrumentalist playing Lankum at their own doomy, magisterial game. 4 Straw Man… Read More →

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‘Yellowstone’ creator mocked for writing himself into new episode and casting Bella Hadid as girlfriend

Yellowstone‘s creator Taylor Sheridan has been mocked online for the show’s latest episode, which sees him appear on screen with Bella Hadid as his girlfriend. The Paramount show is approaching its conclusion, though last night’s (December 8) penultimate episode has provoked discussion online. In it, Sheridan reprises his role of horse trainer Travis Wheatley as Hadid cameoes as his girlfriend Sadie, with the character seen showing off horse riding skills and playing strip poker. In one notable moment, Beth Dutton describes Wheatley as “the most arrogant man I’ve ever met”, though when she sees him riding a horse, Beth suggests attraction to him by telling Sadie: “OK, yeah, I get it.” TAYLOR SHERIDAN a word of advice. Don’t write or put yourself into your own shoes ever again. #Yellowstone #YellowstoneTV pic.twitter.com/MWcSYM1SdW — 🎬🎞️🎥🍿Anthony (@mrfilmstock) December 9, 2024 Advertisement Many have mocked the episode, which was written by Sheridan himself, one viewer on X/Twitter writing: “TAYLOR SHERIDAN a word of advice. Don’t write or put yourself into your own shoes ever again.” “So #Yellowstone is just Taylor Sheridan writing himself into his own fantasies? This show is trash,” another suggested, while a third wrote: “Taylor Sheridan making Bella Hadid his girlfriend… Read More →

Jeff Parker & ETA IVtet – The Way Out Of Easy

Jeff Parker is best known to rock fans as a key member of the Chicago post-rock ensemble Tortoise, someone who adds a rigour, virtuosity and high-gloss to their proggy instrumentals. But he’s also spent more than three decades exploring many different types of music. The Chicago scene from which Parker emerged in the 1990s was characterised by unusual collaborations between musicians from different genres, all playing together in odd combinations. As well as working with Tortoise, Parker would find himself playing regular sessions with the minimalist gumbri player Joshua Abrams, electronic explorers Isotope 217 and various free jazz musicians, including the likes of trumpeters Rob Mazurek and Jaimie Branch, saxophonist Matana Roberts and drummers Hamid Drake, Chad Taylor and Makaya McCraven. THE NEW ISSUE OF UNCUT FEATURES KATE BUSH, QUINCY JONES, THE WEATHER STATION, THE DAMNED AND OUR ESSENTIAL 2025 PREVIEW – ORDER YOUR COPY NOW Advertisement Parker relocated to Los Angeles around a decade ago, where he has found himself at the nexus of a burgeoning scene which is, in its own way, as diverse as Chicago’s, where members of bands like Bright Eyes, Grizzly Bear and Shabazz Palaces might rub shoulders with genre-transcending musicians such as Carlos Nino,… Read More →

White Denim – 12

White Denim have always been a difficult band to pin down. Since their 2008 debut album Workout Holiday, they’ve run the gamut from raucous garage rock to taut indie via touches of psychedelia, prog, soul and Southern boogie. However, on 12, they have arrived at something else altogether. Sucking up aesthetic influences from the UK new wave scene via groups like Scritti Politti, Orange Juice and Aztec Camera, while absorbing the masterful dub productions of Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and Dennis Bovell, along with studying the songwriting chops of Nick Lowe and Jonathan Richman, they have come up with an album of shimmering pop, slick art-rock, sunshine funk and eccentric soul. “Some will see it as a dramatic shift,” says the band’s ostensible leader and creative director, James Petralli. “But I think it’s part of a natural evolution.” THE NEW ISSUE OF UNCUT FEATURES KATE BUSH, QUINCY JONES, THE WEATHER STATION, THE DAMNED AND OUR ESSENTIAL 2025 PREVIEW – ORDER YOUR COPY NOW Advertisement The album is the result of a period of change in Petralli’s life. He relocated his family to Los Angeles from Austin and, coupled with the restrictions of lockdown, he had to eschew his typical approach of… Read More →

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Spiritbox announce 2025 US ‘Tsunami Sea’ headline tour

Spiritbox have announced a 2025 US headline tour in support of their upcoming album ‘Tsunami Sea’. See tour dates below. READ MORE: Spiritbox: “Our fans are accepting of change – we’re still figuring ourselves out” The Canadian metal band announced the tour last week (December 3) – it’s set to kick off after the release of ‘Tsunami Sea’ due March 7 via Pale Chord in partnership with Rise Records. You can pre-order it here. The band also shared the haunting single ‘Perfect Soul’. Spiritbox’s ‘Tsunami Sea’ tour will see the inclusion of openers Dying Wish, Loathe and Gel. Alongside their US dates are a list of performances across the UK and Europe, including slots at Download Festival and Rock For People Festival, along with opening for Linkin Park’s Wembley Stadium show in June 2025. See their US tour dates below – tickets for all dates are now available here. Advertisement The dates for Spiritbox’s 2025 US ‘Tsunami Sea’ tour are: APRIL3 – Dallas, Texas – South Side Ballroom4 – San Antonio, Texas – Boeing Center at Tech Port5 – Houston, Texas – Bayou Music Center7 – Atlanta, Georgia – Coca-Cola Roxy8 – Orlando, Florida – Hard Rock Live11 – Washington, DC… Read More →

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Snoop Dogg wants to replace Gregg Wallace on ‘MasterChef’

Snoop Dogg has declared himself as an unlikely candidate to step in to host MasterChef, if Gregg Wallace does not return. Wallace has been at the centre of a swirl of allegations of inappropriate sexual comments and actions in recent weeks, with the presenter saying he was stepping down from the BBC show while an investigation is conducted into his behaviour. In a somewhat unforeseen turn of events, Snoop has now thrown his hat into the ring to replace Wallace, telling The Mirror: “You better believe Snoop could be the new MasterChef judge”. The rap legend went on to reference his friendship with TV chef Gordon Ramsay as further proof of his credentials for the role. “My boy Gordon [Ramsay] judges on the US version of the show, and I know he would back me to be able to judge on the UK version,” Snoop added. Advertisement Snoop Dogg. Photo credit: Mark Von Holden/Variety via Getty Images “He knows I am not playing when it comes to food. He knows I can cook – I have even given him some tips. I hosted a cooking show over here [Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party] and I have always been vocal… Read More →

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PS Plus January 2025 games – what to expect for Essential, Extra, and Premium tiers

PS Plus in 2024 had a pretty good year. It didn’t quite hit the highs of 2023, but there were some solid games, especially towards the end of the year. But now we are in 2025, and we have a new selection of games to enjoy. January will kick things off. Below, you can find out when the games for the month will be announced and what is leaving in January 2025. You can also find some predictions for the month, which we hope are correct. PS Plus January 2025 games The PS Plus January 2025 games will be announced on January 1, 2025, for the Essential tier, and the games will be available on January 7, 2025. The Extra and Premium games will be announced on January 15, 2025, and available on January 21, 2025. Here are our predictions for the month’s games in the Essential tier. Advertisement Credit: Red Barrels The Outlast Trials – PS5, PS4 Red Barrels invites you to experience mind-numbing terror, this time with friends. Whether you go through the trials alone or in teams, if you survive long enough and complete the therapy, Murkoff will happily let you leave… but will you be the… Read More →