Ocean

Uncut heads west to encounter Polly Jean Harvey on her Dorset home turf

First off, a quick announcement that our latest Uncut Ultimate Music Guide will be out next week, dedicated this time to Radiohead. I'll write more about that soon, but in the meantime, while I'm finishing the next issue of Uncut itself, please dig in to the assembled tunes below.

A belated happy new year, everyone; I trust the new issue of Uncut, with David Bowie on the cover, is easing you into 2015 in a relatively optimistic way. Not least, of course, because there's a hefty preview of some of the next 12 months' key albums, with plenty of quotes from the artists involved; Paul Weller, New Order, Laura Marling, My Morning Jacket, Matt White, Alabama Shakes, The Pop Group, Giorgio Moroder and so on.

The current issue of Uncut features our archive releases of the year list, compiled by the Uncut team. You can read new assessments of the albums in the issue, but below is the full list. Click on the links to read the original Uncut reviews… and as always let us know in the comments or on Facebook what would make your Top 30. Uncut’s Top 30 Archive Releases Of The Year are: 30 Sleater-Kinney – Start Together (Sub Pop)

The current issue of Uncut features our albums of the year list, compiled by the Uncut team, along with the best reissues and compilations of the year, and the best films and books.

Sorry I didn't manage to post a playlist last week; a combination of germs, deadlines and various other professional/seasonal distractions meant that I ran out of time.

From Gish and Mellon Collie to Oceania, Billy Corgan reveals all about his torturous journey to stardom

The Small Faces and Faces musician suffered a stroke yesterday...

Hey, here are my 154 favourite albums of 2014. As usual, I haven't aimed for a fixed number; just listed everything, in a loose order, that I've enjoyed these past 12 months.

From the Uncut vaults! Good times, bad times, new teeth and more