US band Jimmy Eat World look back: ‘I would play The Middle five times in a row if the other guys would let me’
The emo kings on growing up in Arizona, making it big, and Jim’s annoying wake-up calls
‘Major labels are trying to scoop up everything’: the chaotic future for indie music companies – and why vinyl isn’t working
As stalwarts Sub Pop and Rough Trade celebrate big anniversaries, insiders speak candidly about the challenges they face. Can streaming ever ensure their survival?
Indie music has been invaded by fake fans and cynical viral campaigns. Here’s how deep it all goes
Companies such as Chaotic Good are confecting social media buzz to promote Geese, Oklou and other indie darlings. Industry insiders reveal how widespread the practice is – even if no-one is sure it actually works
‘It’ll be in my Guardian obituary’: David Balfe on inspiring Blur’s Country House and tripping on Top of the Pops
He was the burned-out bigwig who moved to a very big house. Now back with his first music for decades, he talks about signing the Proclaimers, being punched by Julian Cope – and his Scott Walker inspired trio
Carla dal Forno: Confession review – spartan, sunlit post-punk strikingly contrasts the desperation of desire
The Australian songwriter’s fourth album exists in the captivating chasm between the coolness of her music and the unrepentant obsession of the crush it explores
What’s missing? Everything But the Girl’s 20 greatest songs – ranked!
With their sublime confection of heartbreak and dancefloor power, Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt have never sounded like anyone else. Thirty years since Walking Wounded, here’s the duo’s very best
Banned from the radio after Princess Diana died: how Levellers made What a Beautiful Day
‘Its release seemed timely as the Tories had just left office. But then Diana died and all cheerful songs were taken straight off the radio. Boom! It disappeared’
‘Fame quickly became a nightmare’: Preston on Big Brother, falling from a balcony – and reforming the Ordinary Boys
‘Trauma-bonding’ with his future wife on Big Brother, selling their wedding pics to OK!, walking off Buzzcocks, writing hits for stars like Kylie and Olly Murs … as the singer returns, he looks back at a tumultuous career
Michael Roberts obituary
Other lives: Singer with the Bridewell Taxis who played to packed venues and made the indie charts in the ‘Madchester’ era
Dream-pop at its most divine: Cocteau Twins’ 20 greatest songs – ranked!
Forty years on from the release of their Victorialand album, we rank the Scottish band’s 20 best tracks, from goth beginnings to weightless masterpieces
My New Band Believe review – beautiful ideas burst from ex-Black Midi man’s lovable debut album
Smoothing out the jump-cut chaos of his previous band, Cameron Picton brings entirely acoustic instrumentation to bear on these lovely, beguiling songs
Belle and Sebastian review – joyful anniversary tour makes debut album brighter than ever
On a tour playing Tigermilk and If You’re Feeling Sinister in full on alternate nights, Stuart Murdoch and co wittily reanimate their world of aesthetes and misfits
‘We wanted to put a mark on the world’: the sweaty, singular indie music scene of early-00s Brighton
From Bat for Lashes to Brakes and the Pipettes, misfits on the south coast made fearless music amid cheap rents and salty air. Could this ever happen again?
‘I thought I’d finish the album then die’: how Angelo De Augustine came back from a medical nightmare
When the singer-songwriter and Sufjan Stevens collaborator became gravely ill, he had to learn to walk, talk, hear, play and sing again. Music – and a love of antique instrumentation – helped him rebuild
‘We didn’t want to play the game’: how Ladytron became unlikely pop survivors
From electroclash pioneers to dancefloor-fillers via viral TikTok fame thanks to their hit Seventeen, the Liverpool band are back with a new album and another metamorphosis