Harnessing chaos and charm, Pere Ubu’s David Thomas rewrote rock’n’roll: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/apr/24/pere-ubu-david-thomas-rewrote-rocknroll

'Other fans ranged from Rebus writer Ian Rankin to Beach Boys lyricist Van Dyke Parks, who once introduced Thomas to Brian Wilson with the words: “Meet the other genius”.'

#NowPlaying this wild new band I found the other day-- they're called The Lotts, they're from Warrington, UK, and this is their most recent EP, 'Ice Cold': https://thelotts.bandcamp.com/album/ice-cold

It came out in 2022, but it sounds like it could've come out in the 60s. They also have some newer singles from 2024 on Spotify, if you choose to brave that wasteland.

At first I heard a definite Stones influence, then Beatles, both of whom were influenced Chuck Berry, who I also hear. I hear some Kinks too, and maybe even Zombies. And as @wendigo pointed out, there's some Blue Cheer in there. Great, simple blues-based fuzzed out rock with catchy, killer songs.

More of this, less of everything else.

Our Favourite Chart Record of 1996 Poll

Final. Result
A Design for Life - Manic Street Preachers 57% v 43% Free As a Bird - Beatles

A Design for Life - Manic Street Preachers qualifies for our 1990s Top Twenty Chart Poll.

All I Need is a Miracle - Mike and the Mechanics, Free As a Bird - Beatles and A Winter’s Tale - Queen will enter the repechage.

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Fourth Quarter-Final
Perfect Day - Various Artists v Calling All Stations - Genesis

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Third Quarter-Final
More Life in a Tramp’s Vest - Stereophonics v A Thousand Trees - Stereophonics

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Second Quarter-Final
Paranoid Android - Radiohead v The Man Don’t Give a F**k - Super Furry Animals

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First Quarter-Final
Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve v Staring at the Sun - U2

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Our Favourite Chart Record of 1997 Poll

Last 16 Results
A Thousand Trees - Stereophonics 64% v 36% Traffic - Stereophonics
Calling All Stations - Genesis 81% v 19% Congo - Genesis
Hermann Loves Pauline - Super Furry Animals 35% v 65% The Man Don’t Give a F**k - Super Furry Animals
Staring at the Sun - U2 64% v 36% Discotheque - U2

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Semi-Final Results
All I Need is a Miracle - Mike and the Mechanics 44% v 56% A Design for Life - Manic Street Preachers
Free As a Bird - Beatles 53% v 47% A Winter’s Tale - Queen

Final
A Design for Life - Manic Street Preachers v Free As a Bird - Beatles

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Our Favourite Chart Record of 1997 Poll

Last 16 Results
The Drugs Don’t Work - The Verve 23% v 77% Bitter Street Symphony - The Verve
Karma Police - Radiohead 46% v 54% Paranoid Android - Radiohead
Secret Garden - Bruce Springsteen 45% v 55% More Life in a Tramp’s Vest - Stereophonics
Perfect Day - Various Artists 65% v 35% Electrolyte - REM

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Last 16
Match-Up #8
Staring at the Sun - U2 v Discotheque - U2

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Last 16
Match-Up #7
Calling All Stations - Genesis v Congo - Genesis

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Last 16
Match-Up #6
Hermann Loves Pauline - Super Furry Animals v The Man Don’t Give a F**k - Super Furry Animals

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Last 16
Match-Up #5
A Thousand Trees - Stereophonics v Traffic - Stereophonics

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Our Favourite Chart Record of 1996 Poll

Quarter-Final Results
All I Need is a Miracle - Mike and the Mechanics 75% v 25% Darling Pretty - Mark Knopfler
A Design for Life - Manic Street Preachers 63% v 37% Everything Must Go - Manic Street Preachers
Bittersweet Me - REM 49% v 51% Free As a Bird - Beatles
The Ghost of Tom Joad - Bruce Springsteen 46% v 54% A Winter’s Tale - Queen

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Second Semi-Final
Free As a Bird - Beatles v A Winter’s Tale - Queen

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First Semi-Final
All I Need is a Miracle - Mike and the Mechanics v A Design for Life - Manic Street Preachers

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Last 16
Match-Up #4
Perfect Day - Various Artists v Electrolyte - REM

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Last 16
Match-Up #3
Secret Garden - Bruce Springsteen v More Life in a Tramp’s Vest - Stereophonics

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Last 16
Match-Up #2
Karma Police - Radiohead v Paranoid Android - Radiohead

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