Mercury Rev: Born Horses review – a lush and serene return
With a half-new lineup, the US rock band’s first album of new material since 2015 finds them in dreamy, reflective mode
‘We don’t care whether it’s cool or not’: inside the weaponised weirdness of Mermaid Chunky
How did an oddball Stroud duo, who once played the wedding of two ceramic dogs, come to get signed by LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy? Nothing is ordinary in the world of Mermaid Chunky
Fat Dog: Woof review – a boisterous debut with more bark than bite
Outlandish musical choices from oompah to sleaze should make the Londoners’ debut feel fresh, but they’re the latest interlopers in a crowded experimental field
English Teacher are worthy Mercury winners – but the question of the prize’s future hangs heavy
The smart, strange Leeds quartet clearly have a bright future ahead of them. But with no sponsor and a straitened ceremony, the same can’t be said for the Mercury
Leeds indie band English Teacher win Mercury prize
The band take home the £25,000 prize for their debut album, This Could Be Texas, beating artists including Charli xcx and the Last Dinner Party
End of the Road festival review – engagingly eclectic weekender never fails to surprise
A headlining Slowdive ticked the indie boxes, but Lankum’s intense folk, Paranoid London’s filthy techno and Nourished By Time’s slick R&B grooves once again prove this festival has punch and personality
Supersonic festival review – an awesome windmill of noise and connection
This festival of heavier sounds from the fringes was a blast, from chilling Gazelle Twin to Daisy Rickman’s Krautrock-folk, noise icons Melt-Banana and locals Flesh Creep
Oasis: a guilty pleasure without fringe benefits
The comeback could be a coup or a crash, but it has already obliterated accommodation for the 2025 Edinburgh fringe
Richard Hawley review – homecoming hero is in the mood to celebrate
Playing his largest ever gig in the city, the singer tenderly croons his musical love letters to the people and places of Sheffield, while his biting political songs turn into rousing singalongs
Morrissey claims Johnny Marr ignored lucrative Smiths reunion offer
Singer issues statement saying he accepted AEG Entertainment Group proposal for 2025 tour but guitarist did not
Yo La Tengo review – indie royalty run through their beloved back catalogue
Over a two-and-a-half-hour set the trio turn over old songs and new from their 40-year career, unearthing surprises every time
Street-Level Superstar: A Year With Lawrence by Will Hodgkinson review – portrait of a wayward would-be pop star
His bands Felt and Denim never quite made it. So will this sympathetic biography help give indie’s most enigmatic figure the status his stoicism deserves?
Rally festival review – thrilling blend of cult DJs and indie darlings
Mount Kimbie’s electro-acoustic jams capture the ethos of this celebration of the boundary pushing that included sets from Two Shell, Nilüfer Yanya and bar italia
All for you! Janet Jackson, Snõõper, Bob Dylan and more: the best music of autumn 2024
From Chat Pile’s apocalyptic noise to Nala Sinephro’s celestial bliss, plus posthumous releases from MC5 and Sophie, here are the albums and tours not to miss – while in classical, Kahchun Wong takes over at the Hallé
One to watch: Wasia Project
Heartstopper actor Will Gao and his sister Olivia Hardy mix modern jazz and indie with a wisdom beyond their years