Hit Singles

Sam Fender – People Watching

It’s easy to be skeptical of Sam Fender. Blond, blue eyed, looking like Gary Barlow’s indie kid brother, with a name that feels like a brand endorsement, when he picked up the Critics Award at the 2019 BRITs, you might have mistaken him for the industry’s latest tastefully distressed millennial singer-songwriter. But since his debut single in 2017, the canny chanter from North Shields has emerged as the most driven, distinctive and fascinating British pop artist since Amy Winehouse. Advertisement THE MARCH 2025 ISSUE OF UNCUT, STARRING WILCO, A FREE WILCO CD, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, PATTERSON HOOD, THE WHITE STRIPES AND MORE IS AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW His second album, Seventeen Going Under, released in autumn 2021, was a remarkable achievement in particular, a British pop record that revealed something of the temper of modern times. Fender sang of retail parks, cocaine, casual violence, the DWP and suicide – a world familiar enough in the works of Stormzy or Sleaford Mods, but close to a revelation in the heart of the Radio 2 A-list. What sold the vision was Fender’s endearing anger and confusion, and his rich Geordie roar, as though the Angel of the North was suddenly breaking into song…. Read More →

Introducing…Ultimate Record Collection: The Beatles, Vol 1

Like me, you probably think you know the story arc of The Beatles pretty well. As we’ve worked on this new publication, the latest edition in our Ultimate Record Collection series, out tomorrow, it’s been a delight to find that the Beatles narrative can still offer up some delightful surprises. Advertisement And the story here? This magazine presents insightful new writing on every Beatles record in order of its appearance, forming a definitive timeline of the first and most thrillingly intense part of the group’s career. What emerges as you listen to the music and read the following pages isn’t only a renewed pleasure in the songs, but also a respect for the Beatles’ composure as the storm of their new fame grew around them. New fantastic self-penned music followed quickly on the heels of their initial hits. No group had done anything quite like this before, and neither had the record industry, which now had to meet the phenomenal demand for new music. Here you’ll be able to get an idea of how that worked in real time. Alongside the albums you likely know and love already, you’ll see the profusion of new singles, and also the less-familiar formats… Read More →

The BBC Radiophonic Workshop has opened its archive

The archive of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop – the avant-garde enclave inside the BBC’s sound effects department – will be made available for the first time for use by musical artists and producers, passing on one of the most singular legacies in the UK’s music history. Advertisement THE MARCH 2025 ISSUE OF UNCUT, STARRING WILCO, A FREE WILCO CD, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, PATTERSON HOOD, THE WHITE STRIPES AND MORE IS AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW The archive includes samples of sounds and music made for a vast range of BBC shows from Doctor Who to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, all of which were created by electronic music pioneers Delia Derbyshire, Daphne Oram, Brian Hodgson and other luminaries. Using unconventional methods ranging from musique concrète techniques and loop manipulation to creating sounds by scraping piano wires or hitting lampshades, their work has had far-reaching influence. Paul McCartney once approached Derbyshire to remake “Yesterday“, while more recent admirers include Spacemen 3‘s Pete Kember, who worked with her shortly before her death in 2001. Advertisement [embedded content] In collaboration with Spitfire Audio and BBC Studios, a library of samples will be released featuring sounds from the Workshop’s archive as well as new recordings and experiments by Workshop members… Read More →

The Delines – Mr Luck & Ms Doom

“Nothing good happens in a bar at night to a guy over fifty. It’s just a fact,” an old soak named RJ tells Al, the narrator of Willy Vlautin’s seventh novel, The Horse. Al, an ageing songwriter, hiding out in an abandoned mine in central Nevada, takes the advice to heart and resolves to quit the bar life and spend his time listening to old jazz records and Ennio Morricone soundtracks and writing brooding folk ballads on his harmonium, songs with titles like “Nancy & The Pensacola Pimp”. Advertisement THE MARCH 2025 ISSUE OF UNCUT, STARRING WILCO, A FREE WILCO CD, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, PATTERSON HOOD, THE WHITE STRIPES AND MORE IS AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW It’s one of a handful of songs that show up on Mr Luck & Ms Doom, The Delines’ sixth and finest album to date. Vlautin has always worked on the fertile borderlands or fault lines between fiction and song, and insists most of his novels are songs that somewhere along the way got a little out of hand. In fact, the last Delines album was a largely instrumental soundtrack to Vlautin’s novel The Night Always Comes (which in turn is soon to be a movie)…. Read More →

Doug Sahm & The Sir Douglas Quintet – The Complete Mercury Recordings

When Jay Farrar was preparing Day Of The Doug, Son Volt’s 2023 tribute album to Doug Sahm, he turned to the Complete Mercury Recordings. The 5CD set covering Sahm’s work with the Sir Douglas Quintet from 1968-72 had a limited release in 2005, before sloping back into the vaults, along with Sahm’s reputation as an innovator and inspiration. Advertisement THE MARCH 2025 ISSUE OF UNCUT, STARRING WILCO, A FREE WILCO CD, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, PATTERSON HOOD, THE WHITE STRIPES AND MORE IS AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW It’s not that Sahm is unknown. His work with the Tejano supergroup The Texas Tornados (along with SDQ’s organ player Augie Meyers, Flaco Jimenez and Freddy Fender) helped define and expand the canon of Texas music. Musicians know. Uncle Tupelo covered “Give Back The Key To My Heart”. The Coward Brothers sang “Be Real”. Margo Price duetted with Doug’s son Shawn Sahm – the keeper of the flame – on “I Wanna Be Your Mama Again”. The spade-work for Sahm’s later success was done in these recordings with the Sir Douglas Quintet, where he and Meyers chopped their influences into a Texas stew, even when Sahm was pretending to be an English gent, or inhaling… Read More →

Win tickets to see Sturgill Simpson

We have a pair of tickets to give away to see Sturgill Simpson as his current tour hits the UK and Europe. Advertisement THE MARCH 2025 ISSUE OF UNCUT, STARRING WILCO, A FREE WILCO CD, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, PATTERSON HOOD, THE WHITE STRIPES AND MORE IS AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW The tour – in support of last year’s excellent album Passage du Desir, recorded as Johnny Blue Skies – kicks off at the Limelight in Belfast on February 28 then heads to Dublin, Glasgow, Manchester, London and Bristol, before heading into mainland Europe. You can find the full tour dates at the end of this story. We have ONE pair of tickets to give away for Simpson’s show at London’s Eventim Apollo on Saturday, March 1. Advertisement To enter, click the link and answer the question below. The first correct entry picked at random will win the tickets. Closing date: Tuesday, February 25, 2025 at 10am GMT. Which Nirvana song did Simpson cover on his 2016 album, A Sailor’s Guide To Earth? Simpson’s full UK and EU tour dates are: February 23 – Limelight, BELFASTFebruary 24 – Vicar Street, DUBLIN February 26 – Barrowland Ballroom, GLASGOWFebruary 27 – Albert Hall, MANCHESTERMarch 1 –… Read More →

Paul Weller and Bruce Foxton pay tribute to Rick Buckler

Rick Buckler has died aged 69. News of the drummer’s passing was confirmed by his former The Jam bandmates, Paul Weller and Bruce Foxton. Advertisement THE MARCH 2025 ISSUE OF UNCUT, STARRING WILCO, A FREE WILCO CD, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, PATTERSON HOOD, THE WHITE STRIPES AND MORE IS AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW In a statement posted to his social platforms, Weller wrote: “I’m shocked and saddened by Rick’s passing. I’m thinking back to us all rehearsing in my bedroom in Stanley Road, Woking. To all the pubs and clubs we played at as kids, to eventually making a record. What a journey! Advertisement “We went far beyond our dreams and what we made stands the test of time. My deepest sympathy to all family and friends – P.W x” Foxton wrote: “I was shocked and devastated to hear the very sad news today. Rick was a good guy and a great drummer whose innovative drum patterns helped shape our songs. I’m glad we had the chance to work together as much as we did. My thoughts are with Leslie and his family at this very difficult time – Bruce Foxton” As The Jam Weller, Foxton and Buckler released six albums and… Read More →

Send us your questions for Jim Keltner!

Jim Keltner may well be the most storied session drummer alive today. Indeed, even to call him a session musician undersells the key role he’s played on records by Bob Dylan, Neil Young, George Harrison, John Lennon, Ry Cooder, Steely Dan, Carly Simon, Richard Thompson, Eric Clapton, Roy Orbison and hundreds more. THE MARCH 2025 ISSUE OF UNCUT, STARRING WILCO, A FREE WILCO CD, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, PATTERSON HOOD, THE WHITE STRIPES AND MORE IS AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW He was part of Joe Cocker’s infamous Mad Dogs & Englishmen jaunt, he joined Booker T & The MG’s when they toured with Neil Young, he was Buster Sidebury in the Traveling Wilburys, and he was behind the kit for massive reunion tours by Simon & Garfunkel and CSNY. Now, fresh from a stint on Bob Dylan’s Rough & Rowdy Ways tour, he’s kindly submitted to a gentle grilling from you, the Uncut readers. So what do you want to ask the drummer who’s seen it all? Send your questions to audiencewith@uncut.co.uk by Monday (February 24) and Jim will answer the best ones in a future issue of Uncut.

Drive-By Truckers, 40 Watt Club, Athens, Georgia, February 12 – 15, 2025

Onstage at the 40 Watt club, Patterson Hood regales hundreds of Heathens with a story about moving to Athens, Georgia, on April Fool’s Day in 1994. As he tells it, he arrived in town and walked directly to this very club, which was already renowned as one of the best rock venues in the South. Cracker and Counting Crows were playing a double bill, and while he didn’t have money to buy a ticket, the doorman let him sneak past. It’s a fond memory of a formative experience, and the fact that he’s recounting it onstage at the 40 Watt is not lost on him. Advertisement THE MARCH 2025 ISSUE OF UNCUT, STARRING WILCO, A FREE WILCO CD, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, PATTERSON HOOD, THE WHITE STRIPES AND MORE IS AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW It’s the second night of HeAthens Homecoming, the Drive-By Truckers’ annual four-night stand in what they still consider their hometown. It’s a tradition that stretches back to the band’s early days, just before they released Southern Rock Opera in 2001, when they were touring nonstop. “The 40 Watt,” says Patterson, “gave us a place to come home to.” Over the years, the event has grown into a grassroots… Read More →

Introducing the Deluxe, 148-page, Ultimate Music Guide to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

In his introduction to this latest Ultimate Music Guide, Graham Nash lets fly a rather surprising opinion. Advertisement “I’m not so sure that the story of CSNY could ever really be told,” he tells us. “There have been a couple of new books about us recently, but it feels like both of them are just lists of how we fucked up. I didn’t sense the incredible joy that we felt, being in love with each other and in each other’s music, creating this body of work that travelled around the world.” Like Neil Young and David Crosby, Nash has written an autobiography with what must at least partly have been the intention of telling that story – and it’s also a challenge that we hope we’ve risen to in this latest Deluxe Edition Ultimate Music Guide. Of course, like anyone would, we’ve enjoyed some of the spicier tales that have emerged from the archive interviews and encounters which we’ve included here to help account for the rise to pre-eminence of four exceptionally strong personalities. We’re only human. What we’ve really tried to zoom in on in this latest 148-page updated edition, though, is that exceptional and generational music. We’ve gone in-depth… Read More →

Matt Berninger, Mabe Fratti and Bombino added to End Of The Road line-up

The second wave of names added the bill for 2025’s End Of The Road festival includes The National’s Matt Berninger (playing a solo set), dreampop cellist Mabe Fratti and Saharan guitar legend Bombino. THE MARCH 2025 ISSUE OF UNCUT, STARRING WILCO, A FREE WILCO CD, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, PATTERSON HOOD, THE WHITE STRIPES AND MORE IS AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW The festival provides an opportunity to see plenty of artists recently championed in the pages of Uncut, including Bridget Hayden And The Apparitions, former Girls frontman Christopher Owens, mystical Cornish singer-songwriter Daisy Rickman, Ezra Feinberg, Florist, Jim Ghedi and Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band. There are also appearances from long-time favourites such as Jake Xerxes Fussell, Six Organs Of Admittance, Diiv, Vieux Farka Touré, Jennifer Castle and Tucker Zimmerman, while folk collective Broadside Hacks will present a special tribute to The Incredible String Band. End Of The Road takes place at Larmer Tree Gardens in Wiltshire/Dorset on August 28-31. See the expanded line-up on the poster below and grab your tickets here.

Bon Iver announces new album

Bon Iver’s new album SABLE, fABLE will be released by Jagjaguwar on April 11. The first three tracks will be familiar from last year’s SABLE EP, but whereas those songs are “sparse and solitary”, the rest of the album “looks towards a vibrant future filled with light, purpose and possibility”. THE MARCH 2025 ISSUE OF UNCUT, STARRING WILCO, A FREE WILCO CD, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, PATTERSON HOOD, THE WHITE STRIPES AND MORE IS AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW The album was produced by Justin Vernon and Jim-E Stack, and was primarily recorded at Vernon’s April Base studio in Wisconsin. Guests include Danielle Haim, Dijon and Flock Of Dimes. A new single, “Everything Is Peaceful Love”, will be released on Friday (Feburary 14 – Valentine’s Day). Check out the tracklisting below and pre-order SABLE, fABLE here. THINGS BEHIND THINGS BEHIND THINGSS P E Y S I D EAWARDS SEASONShort StoryEverything Is Peaceful LoveWalk HomeDay One (feat. Dijon and Flock of Dimes)FromI’ll Be ThereIf Only I Could Wait (feat. Danielle Haim)There’s A RhythmnAu Revoir

Small Faces’ 1969 comp The Autumn Stone expanded over three discs

Small Faces’ posthumous 1969 compilation The Autumn Stone will be reissued in expanded form on March 28, to kick off the 60th anniversary celebrations of Immediate Records. Curated by drummer Kenney Jones, the new reissue is a joint release with his own Nice Records. Advertisement THE MARCH 2025 ISSUE OF UNCUT, STARRING WILCO, A FREE WILCO CD, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, PATTERSON HOOD, THE WHITE STRIPES AND MORE IS AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW Newly mastered by Nick Robbins, it boasts a number of previously unreleased and rare versions of Small Faces songs, including stripped-down acoustic mixes and live tracks. Advertisement As well as a standard 3-CD edition, The Autumn Stone will be reissued as 3-LP coloured vinyl box-set including a 68-page hardback book containing detailed sleevenotes and track-by-track recording information, illustrated with rare memorabilia, original artwork and previously unseen photos by Small Faces photographers Tony Gale and Gered Mankowitz. The vinyl box-set boasts gold foil lettering, with the band’s name finally restored to the front cover, having been mistakenly left off on the album’s original 1969 release. The vinyl package is limited to 3000 numbered copies, 750 of which are signed by Kenney Jones and Gered Mankowitz. Both vinyl editions are available… Read More →

Patti Smith announces new Horses shows

Patti Smith has announced a number of 2025 live dates at which she’ll play her 1975 classic album Horses in full. THE MARCH 2025 ISSUE OF UNCUT, STARRING WILCO, A FREE WILCO CD, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, PATTERSON HOOD, THE WHITE STRIPES AND MORE IS AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW Smith will be accompanied by two members of her original group, Lenny Kaye and Jay Dee Daugherty, along with current bandmates Tony Shanahan and Jackson Smith. The Horses tour is set to gallop into Dublin, Madrid, Bergamo, London, Brussels, Oslo and Paris this autumn, as well as nine cities in the US. The UK dates are at the London Palladium on October 12 and 13. There is an artist pre-sale from Wednesday (February 12) at 9am – tickets here and here – while tickets go on general sale on Friday (February 14) at 9am from here.

The Brides Of Funkenstein – Funk Or Walk (reissue, 1978)

Perhaps one of the minor, less explored planets of the George Clinton universe, the Brides started out as an offshoot of characters in the storyline of Parliament’s 1976 loose concept album The Clones of Dr Funkenstein. Featuring, for the purposes of this debut long player, the pairing of Dawn Silva and Lynn Mabry, the duo were marketed as a more radio-friendly prospect than typical P-Funk fare. Advertisement THE MARCH 2025 ISSUE OF UNCUT, STARRING WILCO, A FREE WILCO CD, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, PATTERSON HOOD, THE WHITE STRIPES AND MORE IS AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW It worked a treat on curtain-raising single “Disco To Go”, comfortably making Billboard’s R&B Top 10 chart and selling half a million copies in the process. Clinton co-wrote the track with Bootsy Collins and it occasionally featured in the latter’s live shows before he deemed its singalong lyrics too “pop.” A subsequent overhaul re-positioned the song closer to Pointer Sisters or Sister Sledge territory, and its opening horn riff was lifted wholesale for the Gap Band’s “Oops Upside Your Head” a year later. Further commercially-minded sassy chanteuse vibes are evident on the dancefloor defiance of feminist semi-anthem “Birdie” (“Now that I’ve got my way/I’m gonna know just… Read More →

Eddie Chacon: My Life In Music

BOB DYLAN InfidelsCOLUMBIA, 1983I’m a massive Bob Dylan fan, and always have been since I was very young. I remember falling crazily in love with the song “Sweetheart Like You” – I learned it on guitar and would play it all the time around the house. Bob Dylan has sung in many voices, and to me, Infidels is peak form. People think of Bob Dylan as one of the greatest writers and one of the greatest contributions as an artist; I don’t know that people regularly think of him as a spectacular singer. But he was always one of my favourite singers and biggest influences. What his voice lacks in dexterity, it more than makes up for in character and depth. As a singer, that’s what I’ve always aspired towards. Advertisement THE MARCH 2025 ISSUE OF UNCUT, STARRING WILCO, A FREE WILCO CD, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, PATTERSON HOOD, THE WHITE STRIPES AND MORE IS AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW PINK FLOYDAnimalsHARVEST/COLUMBIA, 1977It’s a record that was introduced to me pounding through the bedroom wall from my older brother’s side. He was obsessed with Pink Floyd and Robin Trower and a lot of progressive rock’n’roll music from the ’70s. We listened to The Dark… Read More →

Crystal Starr’s “Part-Time Lover”: A New Era of Empowerment

Crystal Starr has once again captivated audiences with her latest single, “Part-Time Lover.” It’s a powerful pop song that shows the complexities of modern relationships. This emotionally charged track is an experience that resonates deeply with anyone who has ever struggled with unbalanced love. The lyrics of “Part-Time Lover“ are empowering, urging listeners to break free from toxic relationships and recognise their worth. The narrative focuses on love, longing, and self-empowerment, as Crystal’s vocals convey vulnerability and assertiveness in perfect harmony. Lines like “Every time you try to run away, He calls you to stay” highlight the cyclical nature of such relationships. The production is a combination of shimmering synths and pulsing beats that evoke the best of ’80s pop while feeling refreshingly contemporary. This nostalgic yet modern soundscape provides an ideal backdrop for Crystal Starr’s powerful vocals. The song’s message is reinforced by its minimalist yet impactful music video. Filmed in a DIY style with Crystal Starr dancing alongside a partner, the visuals allow her presence to take center stage without relying on extravagant sets or effects. This simplicity underscores the emotional weight of the track beautifully. “Part-Time Lover“ paints a vivid picture of being trapped in a relationship… Read More →

Previously unseen Led Zeppelin images discovered

Photographer Ed Finnell, who shot Led Zeppelin at the peak of their powers, has recently discovered some previously unseen pictures of the band. The roll of negatives had been misfiled under the name of another band. THE MARCH 2025 ISSUE OF UNCUT, STARRING WILCO, A FREE WILCO CD, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, PATTERSON HOOD, THE WHITE STRIPES AND MORE IS AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW The photos come from two concerts at The Forum in Inglewood, California, in March 1975 and June 1977. Developed just two weeks ago, the prints are currently on display at the Oak Island Gallery in Stockholm until February 13. They are also available to view and buy here. You can see one of Finnell’s newly discovered photos at the top of this page, and there is a sneak preview of some more below:

2025’s Record Store Day list revealed

April 12 is Record Store Day, and the list of exclusive releases – as always, available only at participating shops – has just been revealed. Advertisement THE MARCH 2025 ISSUE OF UNCUT, STARRING WILCO, A FREE WILCO CD, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, PATTERSON HOOD, THE WHITE STRIPES AND MORE IS AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW Among the more intriguing items on the list are David Bowie’s Ready, Set, Go! (Live, Riverside Studios ‘03); The Doors’ Strange Days 1967: A Work In Progress – rough mixes from the album’s early 1967 sessions discovered after 58 years; The Lemonheads In Dreamland, a round-up of previously unreleased covers and radio sessions from the Car Button Cloth era; and The Blasters’ An American Music Story: The Complete Studio Recordings 1979-1985 – a 5-LP boxset including a new compilation of studio outtakes and movie music. There’s also John Lennon’s Power To The People – Live At The One To One Concert, New York City, 1972 – a yellow vinyl EP featuring four tracks from Lennon’s only full-length solo concert after leaving The Beatles. Three of the tracks – “Well Well Well”, “Cold Turkey” and Yoko Ono’s “Don’t Worry Kyoko (Mummy’s Only Looking For A Hand In The Snow)”… Read More →

Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, REM and many more contribute to LA wildfire benefit comps

Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, Gary Numan, Primal Scream, Devo and Jarvis Cocker have contributed previously unreleased tracks to a new benefit compilation called Los Angeles Rising, put together by Kevin Haskins of Bauhaus / Love And Rockets. All proceeds from the compilation – available exclusively via Bandcamp – will go to the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, providing services and financial assistance for career musicians and music industry professionals. Another compilation called Good Music To Lift Los Angeles features 90 never-before-heard new songs, covers, remixes, live versions and unreleased demos from the likes of REM, Jeff Tweedy, Courtney Barnett and Animal Collective. Hear TV On The Radio’s contribution below. It is available for today only (February 7), also from Bandcamp, raising money for LA Regional Food Bank and California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Fund. A third benefit album entitled Super Bloom: A Benefit for Fire Relief In Los Angeles is available here, featuring tracks from The War On Drugs, Jim James, Dirty Projectors, Ty Segall and many more. 100% of proceeds will benefit local mutual aid organisations for LA Fire relief, including Sweet Relief, Direct Relief, Mutual Aid LA, Anti-Recidivism Coalition and Pasadena Humane.

Baby G’s “13”: The Game-Changing Drill Track You Need to Hear

Baby G is stepping into the rap game with an intensity that’s impossible to ignore. His latest single, “13,” isn’t just another drill-infused banger—it’s a declaration. At just 13 years old, the young MC brings a hunger and determination that sets him apart from the flood of aspiring rappers trying to break through. The track is laced with hypnotic hooks and modern drill beats that give Baby G’s flow an edge. His cadence is sharp, confident, and unfazed, delivering bars that focus on ambition, money, and the grind. There’s an old soul lurking in his delivery, likely influenced by his musical lineage—his father, Cold Ca$e, and his brother, See-Money, have clearly instilled in him the art of storytelling. Yet, Baby G’s sound is undeniably modern, blending contemporary trap elements with the gritty authenticity of street rap. The accompanying music video paints a vivid picture of his aspirations—fast cars, Miami nightlife, flashing cash, and the energy of the stage. But in a clever twist, it all turns out to be a dream. The message? He’s not quite there yet, but he’s manifesting it, chasing it with every bar he spits. Baby G is young, but his hunger is real. “13” doesn’t… Read More →