COVER STORY: TAYLOR SWIFT - The pop phenomenon who seemed to eat the zeitgeist whole in 2024 is anything but an overnight sensation,
having been hoovering up Grammys for the best part of 20 years. We dig deeper into the secrets of her extraordinary success and highlight the records that are most collectable in her ever-growing catalogue
YOUTH - The man who began his career with Killing Joke, then worked with everyone from Bananarama to Paul McCartney to Alien Sex Fiend, reveals his darkest studio secrets
1984 NOISE-ROCK - Forty years ago, a wave of renegade American post-punk acts took shape. We trace the rise of Swans, Sonic Youth, Big Black, Butthole Surfers and friends
JOHNNY BURNETTE - Celebrating a rockabilly pioneer ripe for reappraisal, who passed away 60 years ago
CRANES - This sibling-led Portsmouth quartet were always misfits, lurking between post-punk, goth and shoegaze, but a resurfaced demo shows their unique qualities once again
WAR - The low riders who gave Parliament/Funkadelic and Earth, Wind & Fire a run for their funky money assess their albums
VINI REILLY - While his Factory label contemporaries went on to more celebrated careers, the man behind Durutti Column still commands a deserved cult following
FROM THE VAULTS - Reissues and box sets from John Lennon, Joni Mitchell and Wild Billy Childish get the once-over
NEW ALBUMS - Graham Gouldman, Humanist and Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard have new LPs to be carefully appraised
BOOKS - including Kathleen Hanna’s memoir and a Neil Finn biography
LIVES - Performances by Jane’s Addiction are among those witnessed by our spies