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Clear-sighted and well informed opinion on the culture of our past, present and future
On the release of a new Uniform single and video for 'Permanent Embrace', Michael Berdan writes about the harsh realities of bulimia nervosa. CW: some readers may find this article disturbing. Band portrait by Joshua Zucker-Pluda & Sean Stout
Wayne Gooderham explores the influence of Hubert Selby Jr's transgressive masterpiece on popular music; and on the gender sensibilities of The Smiths, Van Morrison and The Velvet Underground in particular. CW: Some may find the language quoted in this article that describes LGBTQI people & sex workers outmoded or offensive
Forty-five years after it was first released, Joseph Burnett returns to Young's fifth solo record, an album that marked an angered transition from Harvest, bolstered by some of his bleakest and greatest moments. This feature was first published on 9 August 2014
The diaristic title of the Kevin Ayers, John Cale, Brian Eno and Nico's live record demands it be put into some kind of historical context. Michael Bellis looks at a highly unusual album released in a time of great cultural and social change
The Rotherham-based musician and artist looks back 40 years and considers the noise of industry, the noise of industrial action, the noise of excessive police violence and electronic music as political resistance. Digital and 35mm photographs of the site of the former Orgreave Coking Works taken by Max Roberts. In memory of drummer and producer Keith LeBlanc
We're really happy with our beautiful, easy-to-navigate new Quietus, but in order to survive and thrive we need to hit 2000 subscribers by our birthday in September, writes John Doran. With that in mind, we're running a huge sale on subscriptions
The former Sounds/NME scribe and Loaded supremo talks about the highs and lows of his relationship with MES and The Fall. Cover illustration by Krent Able. With thanks to James and Emma for the scans
From disco to Eurodance, acid house to EDM, and electroclash to new album Nonetheless, Matt Anniss explores Pet Shop Boys' long-held fascination with dancefloor culture, and the way it's shaped them across their career
We're really happy with our beautiful, easy-to-navigate new Quietus, but in order to survive and thrive we need to hit 2000 subscribers by our birthday in September, writes John Doran. With that in mind, we're running a huge sale on subscriptions
From disco to Eurodance, acid house to EDM, and electroclash to new album Nonetheless, Matt Anniss explores Pet Shop Boys' long-held fascination with dancefloor culture, and the way it's shaped them across their career
In this month's subscriber essay, Manu Ekanayake revisits the BBC adaptation of John Le Carré's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy to explore ideas of Englishness and patriotism corrupted by the Establishment and private school system (note – contains spoilers!)
In this month's Low Culture Essay, Cathi Unsworth attends a beautiful night in tribute to Tim Smith of Cardiacs, speaking to those who knew, loved and played alongside this "musical Merlin".
As festival season approaches, writer, memoirist and founder of the Class Festival of literature Natasha Carthew looks back to the 1980s and reflects on the influence of the anarchic Elephant Fayre on her life and work. Images courtesy of Port Eliot / Michael Barrett
In this month's subscriber essay, Manu Ekanayake revisits the BBC adaptation of John Le Carré's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy to explore ideas of Englishness and patriotism corrupted by the Establishment and private school system (note – contains spoilers!)
As festival season approaches, writer, memoirist and founder of the Class Festival of literature Natasha Carthew looks back to the 1980s and reflects on the influence of the anarchic Elephant Fayre on her life and work. Images courtesy of Port Eliot / Michael Barrett
It’s four decades since Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds released their debut album From Her To Eternity, a record that found Cave attempting a new musical and lyrical language that could free him from his past and help him create – and curate – his future, says Wesley Doyle
It's now 30 years since 'You Don't Love Me' became the sound of the summer of '94; the same amount of time it took to become a hit single in the first place, writes Wrong Tom
It’s four decades since Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds released their debut album From Her To Eternity, a record that found Cave attempting a new musical and lyrical language that could free him from his past and help him create – and curate – his future, says Wesley Doyle
Sade superfan Alex Macpherson celebrates the release of a career-spanning box set by selecting lesser known gems from their back catalogue