Full Year 2021

It must get increasingly difficult for veteran acts to remain relevant in the mainstream rock/pop industry. Big name metal bands from the 80s don’t seem to struggle so much, but it’s a different thing to be on Top Of The Pops in 1974, then remain a force to be reckoned with in those same circles. Enter Michigan rocker Suzi Quatro: the most badass bitch the rock ‘n’ roll world ever did see…

The career of Buke & Gase, the duo of Arone Dyer and Aron Sanchez, has one of the more idiosyncratic arcs of any band of the past two decades. Formed in 2008, they became a cult obsession shortly after the release of their first demo EP, with the left-field indie rock of that release and their first LP Riposte earning the attention of luminaries like The National and Lou Reed, and praise from the likes of Pitchfork and Radiolab (which featured the group on three episodes) and NPR (where they played one of the very first Tiny Desk Concerts).

The Kinks were one of the most influential bands of the British Invasion. Early singles "You Really Got Me" and "All Day and All of the Night" were brutal, three-chord ravers that paved the way for punk and metal while inspiring peers like the Who. In the mid-'60s, frontman Ray Davies came into his own as a songwriter, developing a wry wit and an eye for social commentary that culminated in a pair of conceptual LPs, The Village Green Preservation Society and Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire), that proved enormously influential over the years.

2021 has been an incredible year so far for Jessie Ware. ‘What’s Your Pleasure?’ re-entered the Top 10 following a brilliant Graham Norton performance of ‘Remember Where You Are’ which has proved itself to be one of Jessie’s most connective singles to date. In addition, Jessie has two BRITs nominations, one for Female Solo artist and one for Album Of The Year – the category with a historic four women up for the award.

The mysterious nothing,nowhere. is the project of Vermont-based musician Joe Mulherin, a singer, rapper, and songwriter who mixes cathartic emo-rap, trap, and indie rock styles in equal measure.