ALBUM OF THE WEEK: Beyond The Pale by Jarv Is (week beginning 19/7/20)

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WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2

OUT: now

TRACKLIST: Save The Whale; Must I Evolve?; Am I Missing Something?; House Music All Night Long; Sometimes I Am Pharaoh; Swanky Modes; Children Of The Echo

The first Pulp album we fell in love with (His’n’Hers) contains a track that pinpoints the exact moment when summer dies (David’s Last Summer), ‘the whole sound of summer packing its bags and preparing to leave town’.

  • Read on for reasons including how Cocker’s new band Jarv Is bring the best out of him since his 90s rise

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SONG OF THE WEEK: Meet Again by LP Giobbi featuring Little Boots (week beginning 18/7/20)

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WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2

OUT: now

We saw Little Boots (pictured above) twice in May 2012 (once headlining at XOYO and once supporting the Scissor Sisters at 02 Shepherds Bush Empire) and since that happy fortnight we’ve not seen her perform live again.

  • Read on for reasons including Little Boots’ thoughts on her next album

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AWARDS: MONSTAS: Our Best Musical of 2020 so far

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We awarded 14 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2019 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2020 so far and what’s to come. Funny Girl, Groundhog Day, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Eugenius and Vulvarine: A New Musical are previous winners in this category.

  • Read on for our top 5 best musicals of 2020 so far and our hopes for the next three months

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SONG OF THE WEEK: Get Yourself Together by Dr Robert and Youth

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WORTH A LOOK?: ****

OUT: now

‘I’ve known Youth for 20 years or so. We live up in the same mountain here in southern Spain in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. I’m not mad on industrial, metal dub and trance so it seemed only right and proper that, at weird times like this, I would do something unthinkable, like work together with Youth’, says Blow Monkeys frontman Dr Robert.

  • Read on for reasons including why you should seek out this lockdown collaboration

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AWARDS: MONSTAS: Our Best Theatre Actress of 2020 so far

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

We awarded 14 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2019 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2020 so far and what’s to come. Sheridan Smith, Jade Anouka, Imelda Staunton, Sharon D. Clarke and Monica Dolan are previous winners in this category.

  • Read on for our top 5 best theatre actresses of 2020 so far and our hopes for the next three months

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SONG OF THE WEEK: Suffer by Hurts (Week beginning 5/7/20)

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WORTH A LOOK?: ****

OUT: now

If debut Hurts album Happiness was about love and loss and its follow up (Exile) about sex and death, then the new material we’ve heard from fifth album Faith (out 4/9/20) feels like a return to the lyrical themes that made their name.

  • Read on for reasons including live reviews from throughout Hurts’ 10-year career

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AWARDS: MONSTAS: Our Best Revival of 2020 so far

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We awarded 14 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2019 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2020 so far and what’s to come. Shakespeare Trilogy (Donmar), Follies (National Theatre), Company (Gielgud Theatre) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Bridge Theatre) are previous winners in this category.

  • Read on for our top 5 best revivals of 2020 so far and our hopes for the next three months

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AWARDS: MONSTAS: Our Best Theatre Actor of 2020 so far

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

We awarded 14 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2019 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2020 so far and what’s to come. James McAvoy, George MacKay, Andrew Scott, Arinzé Kene and Daniel Monks are previous winners in this category.

  • Read on for our top 5 best theatre actors of 2020 so far and our hopes for the next three months

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ALBUM OF THE MONTH: SAWAYAMA by Rina Sawayama (July 2020)

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WORTH A LOOK?: *****

OUT: now

TRACKLIST: Dynasty; XS; STFU!; Comme Des Garçons (Like the Boys); Akasaka Sad; Paradisin; Love Me 4 Me; Bad Friend; Fuck The World (Interlude); Who’s Gonna Save You Now?; Tokyo Love Hotel; Chosen Family; Snakeskin; Tokyo Takeover

Renowned for his encyclopaedic pop knowledge and his hits-filled back catalogue plundered in last year’s film Rocketman, none other than Elton John last month named this the ‘strongest album of the year this far’.

  • Read on for reasons including why you should get ready to fall in love with SAWAYAMA

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GIG REVIEW: Alphabeat, 86 metres above Copenhagen, Denmark

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WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN?: 26/6/20

WHERE?: 86 metres above Copenhagen

SETLIST: I Don’t Know What’s Cool Anymore; Vacation; The Spell; 10,000 Nights; Sometimes 2020; Shadows; Fascination

Singers Anders SG and Stine plus band members Anders B, Rasmus, Anders and Troels must enjoy playing midsummer gigs because a year ago they performed their first UK gig since 2013 while at the weekend they staged a Danish show on a hotel roof.

  • Read on for reasons including how to watch this high-rise 27-minute show

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