Frazier chorus sue

Squeeze ’s songwriting duo are back in harness, toting a rock opera they wrote in the ’70s with an all-new album to come. Given their near-constant strife, it’s a miracle. But as they insist, “the thing that always brings us together is the songs…”

From The Bottom Of An Old Grandfather Clock (reissue, 2004) DEAD OCEANS

Finding poignancy in the dread and dislocation of modern living, London four-piece DRY CLEANING have garnered admirers including Nick Cave, Grace Jones and Jeff Tweedy. As new album Secret Love refines their nervy post-punk sprechgesang, the band set their sights on new targets. “Art and humour are our main weapon,” they tell Stephen Troussé

London Shepherd’s Bush Empire

London’s post-punk seismographers pick up more weird vibrations on their third album. By Victoria Segal. Illustration by Cold War Steve.

How Eno-supervised jams and a playful tale of obsessive relationships yielded the Manchester veterans’ biggest hit to date. Just don’t wear those dresses on American TV!