Black Sky Thinking

This Ain’t Rock & Roll: A Tour Diary By Andrew Mueller – Part 3

After years of following artists such as Radiohead, Bruce Springsteen and U2 round the globe, our man Mueller has decided to turn his attention on his own tour. From his vantage point in York he plans a solo assault of Scotland.

Los Campesinos! First Against Wall In TWAT! (The War Against Twee)

The world stands, yet again, on the brink of the nuclear war, while simultaneously frying, blowing, flooding and burning to a premature end. How do twee band respond? By jumping up and down, shouting 'Yay!' and drinking Cherryade. Swells is unimpressed.

David Stubbs Remembers Getting Arrested With The KLF Back In 1991

Uncle Agony Aidan Moffat: Back To Fix Your Weeping Sores

Aidan Moffat returns with the second installment of his all-new sex and love advice column, I'm No Expert.

Digga Please! The Quietus Says Happy Birthday To Vinyl

This week saw vinyl's 131st birthday. Unreconstructed disc hoarder John Doran tries vainly to explain why for him record collecting will never die. In 333 words.

This Ain’t Rock & Roll: A Tour Diary by Andrew Mueller part 2

After years of following artists such as Radiohead, Bruce Springsteen and U2 round the globe, our man Mueller has decided to turn his attention on his own tour. This week the 'carnage' reaches Brighton and beyond.

Remixing, Bootlegging and The Cure by 65daysofstatic man Paul Wolinski

The front man of 65daysofstatic got pissed off waiting for The Quietus to ring him and wrote us an article instead. Good man, say we. Pictures by Steve Gullick and Scott Bartlett.

Grinderman & Bad Seed Jim Sclavunos On The Brilliant Malevolence Of Suicide

Jim Sclavunos recalls how in late 1970s New York, Suicide were the only band who'd give the infamous Teenage Jesus & The Jerks a show. But, he writes, it was Suicide who really pushed the boundaries.

Mr. Agreeable: A Ball Bearing In The Vas Deferens Of Life

Kippers for breakfast and rage for tea, Mr Agreeable takes his good natured soul to the unmasking of Burial, Morrissey's album delay, and Slipknot's new masks.

When The Single Is A Jingle: Artists Forced To Take The Ad Man’s Dollar

With record sales plummeting, more and more musicians are being forced to look to to advertising to pay the bills. Adam Narkiewicz investigates

Dub Be Good To Me. Why Burial’s Identity Could Have Stayed Secret . . .

Under Cover Love – Saint Saviour and the Joy Division Cover Version

New band see Joy Division shaped bear trap. Run straight into it. Escape relatively unscathed. Other bands – Paul Young included – not so lucky.

This Ain’t Rock & Roll: A Tour Diary by Andrew Mueller part one

After years of following artists such as Radiohead, Bruce Springsteen and U2 round the globe, our man Mueller has decided to turn his attention on his own tour. A book tour.

Dumbfuckingstan vs. British Art School Rock – It’s No Contest Says Swells

One For The Road – Carol Clerk Gets Banned From Israel With Hanoi Rocks

To get banned from a drinking establishment takes practice; to get banned from a whole country requires a different kind of dedication. Our friend Clerkie looks back to a session that nearly ended in a two year prison sentence.

Uncle Agony Aidan Moffat’s First Sex Advice Column For The Quietus

Two Decades Of Sub Pop. Steve Jelbert Celebrates In Seattle

From Mudhoney to CSS, Sub Pop has remained one of America's most important indie labels for twenty years now. We cast our eye back over their history.

The Dark Knight of the Soul? Chris Roberts on Heath Ledger’s Untimely Death

Has Heath Ledger's tragic death complicated our viewing of his final performance? Chris Roberts untangles the man from the clown.

Radiohead Part II: On The Road With The Mercury Prize Nominees

More fun on the road with Radiohead . . .

In the second part of his epic feature, Andrew Mueller talks to Thom Yorke and the rest of Radiohead about fatherhood, globilization and Pakistani daleks.

Radiohead by Andrew Mueller. On The Road With The Mercury Prize Nominees

While researching his new book _I Wouldn't Start From Here_ Andrew Mueller enjoyed privileged access to one of the world's biggest bands... and their instant coffee.

The Unusual Sensation Of Feeling Sorry For Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong

Today Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong revealed that they've scrapped their debut album. Yet Luke Turner can still find it within himself to shed a tear.

Lydongate! Johnny’s Behaviour Rotten? Swells On The ‘Racist’ Ruckus

Forget Morriseygate! Here's Lydongate!

Swells has produced a cut out and keep guide to help you work your way round the tricky fact that John Lydon seems to be a bit of a tit.

The 20 Most Controversial and Ill Thought Out Album Sleeves Of All Time

John Doran casts a baleful eye over some of the least well thought out album sleeves to grace record store shelves.

Funky House: A Profile Of The Scene

As the budget flights take the nation's youth off for the summer season in Ayia Napa, Melissa Bradshaw gives The Quietus the lowdown on what's happening in the funky house scene.

Dylan vs. Cohen

With Leonard Cohen's current unexpected tour astounding audiences across the world, Luke Turner asks if it is time to see him, rather than the "doggerel"-spouting Bob Dylan, as the finest poet of his generation?

Jarvis Cocker on Sheffield’s post-punk legends Artery

Artery are one of the great unsung bands of the post punk era, but found a champion in Jarvis Cocker, who invited them to close last year's Meltdown Festival. In this article for The Quietus, Cocker explains how Artery changed his life.

Dead Horse Flogging With Sid Vicious at the Camden Stables Market

Brighton based lensman Greg Neate casts his eye over two North London photo exhibitions: Sid Vicious: No-One is Innocent and Snap! - Mencap's 2008 photo competition winners at Proud Gallery, Camden

Swells on Topshop playlisting The Rotted

Topshop, popular outfitter to the nation's youth, have recently added malignant grindcore types The Rotted to their instore playlist. Swells explains why this means he should have been an A&R man, rather than working in Morrisons, back in '77

Cutting the Beef: Rappers unite as 50’s marketing ploy fails

As 50 Cent vainly attempts to flog another album on his label with a tired round of beefing, Adam Narkiewicz looks at how a new generation of rappers are re-introducing a spirit of community and collaboration to the genre.

Is The BBC The Enemy Of Hip Hop?

Last week amongst the detritus thrown at UK rapper Lethal Bizzle by the audience at Download was a banana skin. Forget about this though - a bigger problem facing UK hip hop stars, argues rapper/writer Adam Narkiewicz is the media itself

Part VI

Swells in NYC