The band came about in Quebec in 2019, with the two members made immediately distinctive by way of strange stage names, and their donning of unusual black and white costumes and Papier-mâché headpieces. The pair consist of singer and guitarist Khn de Poitrine and drummer and vocalist Klek de Poitrine. Their fuzzy, chaotic experimental rock is defined by Khn’s use of a double-necked microtonal electric guitar and bass, which expands the range of musical notes beyond a typical instrument. This lends the riffs a sound unheard of in most western music, which can appear almost accidental on the first listen. When coupled with Klek’s erratic jazz drum beats, and the duo’s indecipherable alien vocals, the music is utterly out of this world.

After releasing debut album ‘Vol. 1’ in 2024, the band became a viral sensation earlier this year. Their live performance for radio station KEXP in February captured attention in all the desired ways, with viewers enraptured by the four meandering tracks and the unique attires. The set has been viewed nearly 6.5 million times on Youtube, with Angine de Poitrine fast-becoming one of the year’s biggest pop-culture phenomenons and their image already considered iconic.

Second album ‘Vol. II’ was announced on the 18th of March, promising to expand the sound of their first release to wilder, weirder heights. Three of the tracks, ‘Sarniezz’, ‘Mata Zyklek’ and most-recent single ‘Fabienk’ can be heard in the KEXP performance, but the album includes three more items – ‘Utzp’, ‘Yor Zarad’ and ‘Angor’. Due to the extended run-time of their progressive-styled jams, the full six tracks clock in at over 35 minutes of music.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Angine De Poitrine (@anginedepoitrine)

With plans already in place for a sold-out visit to the UK this May, before touring France, Belgium, and Canada, they announced their first headline tour of the US earlier in March. Yesterday they revealed a further leg of European dates, including a second run of the UK, only this time at much larger venues and festivals. It begins at End of the Road Festival in Dorset this September, before ending with a huge finale at the beautiful venue Troxy in London in October. The full list of UK dates for 2026 is here:

MAY
• 10 – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds (SOLD OUT)
• 11 – Electric Ballroom, London (SOLD OUT)
• 12 – Strange Brew, Bristol (SOLD OUT)
• 14 – The Great Escape, Brighton

SEPTEMBER
• 4 – End of the Road, Larmer Tree Gardens, Dorset
• 5 – Manchester Psych Fest, Manchester
• 6 – Edinburgh Psych Fest, Edinburgh

OCTOBER
• 13 – Prospect Building, Bristol
• 14 – SWG3 Galvanizers, Glasgow
• 16 – Opium, Dublin
• 18 – Project House, Leeds
• 19 – Troxy, London

Angine de Poitrine release ‘Vol. II’ this Friday, the 3rd of April, through label Les Cassettes Magiques. Physical versions will be available on their web store, and you can click here for digital pre-orders and pre-saving options.

2006 is now 20 years ago. Yes, it shocks all of us. In commemoration of the new year, The Official Charts website have published a list of albums that are celebrating their twentieth birthday in 2026, and it contains a fantastic assortment of British classics, and some that are best left forgotten.

Speaking of ones to be forgotten, the feature begins with a list of number one albums from 2006’s charts, and right away we find James Blunt’s ‘Back To Bedlam’. Curiously, the album is slightly older, having initially released in 2004, but it wasn’t until the release of single ‘You’re Beautiful’ in 2005 that it struck the public consciousness and never truly went away. It landed the number one spot for 8 consecutive weeks of 2005, before doing it again in January 2006.

James Blunt’s ‘Back To Bedlam’

The next highlight is Arctic Monkey’s debut ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’. An old-school slice of working class heroism, frontman Alex Turner made no attempt to hide his Yorkshire accent, and it went on to be one of the biggest international rock albums of the decade, being certified eight-times Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). While the Sheffield band’s sound has radically evolved since then, this album still holds its own in 2026.

Staying on the theme of British rock music, Muse’s ‘Black Holes And Revelations’ proved to be the best-remembered release of their careers. Singles ‘Super Massive Blackhole’, ‘Starlight’ and the epic ‘Knights Of Cydonia’ have never left the Devon band’s live setlist since their debuts 20 years ago.

Other standout number ones include Snow Patrol’s ‘Eyes Open’, which spawned their biggest single ‘Chasing Cars’, Corinne Bailey Rae’s self-titled debut which featured her best-known single ‘Put Your Records On’, and Razorlight’s self-titled album containing their hits ‘In The Morning’ and ‘America’. 2006 also marked the return of Take That, whose album ‘Beautiful World’ rocketed straight to number one with several chart-topping singles, while former member Robbie Williams made a far smaller splash with ‘Rudebox’.

As for those that didn’t reach number one, an immediate highlight is Amy Winehouse’s ‘Back To Black’ and indeed its emotional title track, which has become a household staple, particularly following the singer’s tragic death in 2011. In a demonstration of incredible longevity, Iron Maiden released their fourteenth album, ‘A Matter Of Life And Death’ and Pet Shop Boys put their ninth studio album ‘Fundemental’ out.

Elsewhere in the list lies a mixture of international releases also holding a birthday party. Taylor Swift’s aptly-named debut ‘Taylor Swift’, Jack Johnson’s ‘In Between Dreams’, and Scissor Sisters’ ‘Ta-Dah’ all landed big chart performances for their respective artists in the same year. Gnarls Barkley emerged from nowhere with breakout single ‘Crazy’ and album ‘St Elsewhere’, and Prince released his thirty-first album ‘3121’. One final fact that will undoubtedly make the emos amongst us check their hair for any grey, is that My Chemical Romance’s ‘The Black Parade’ marched into the world in October of 2006.

And of course, there are many others on the list that have made it to their twentieth anniversary, but we don’t want to be feeling too old now, do we?

In an Instagram update shared on New Year’s Eve, Harvey wrote that she has “been writing songs for my next album and poems for my next book,” describing the creative work as a process that continues to “surprise and challenge” her but one she remains “committed to and love[s]”. No title, release date or label details have yet been announced for either project, but the confirmation signals that a follow‑up to ‘I Inside the Old Year Dying’ is now formally in motion.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by PJ Harvey (@pjharveyofficial)

The post also looked back on the conclusion of her most recent live run, noting that “2025 saw the end of the ‘I Inside the Old Year Dying’ tour in Australia and Japan in March,” which she called “a wonderful experience” and a chance to bring the record to life “in a shared experience”. The album, released in 2023, was widely praised as an immersive, folklore‑infused return that drew on her Dorset‑set narrative poem Orlam.

Alongside the news of fresh writing, Harvey shared a curated playlist of tracks she credits with being “inspiring and strengthening” throughout 2025. Hosted on streaming services under her official account, the playlist runs just over an hour and gathers work from contemporary composers, experimental artists and idiosyncratic songwriters.

The selections include pieces such as “LAD: II. The Slow Melody” and “Wee Rosebud”, alongside modern classical and avant‑garde cuts by artists including Clarissa Connelly, Xenia Pestova Bennett and the Ligeti Quartet. The list underlines Harvey’s long‑standing openness to left‑field influences, echoing the spectral folk, choral textures and text‑driven structures that shaped I Inside the Old Year Dying and its companion book Orlam.

Harvey closed her message by thanking listeners for their support and wishing them “a happy and peaceful year ahead”, framing the new creative cycle as both a continuation and a renewal after two years of touring. With no firm timeline yet in place, fans are left to parse the hints offered by her evolving reading list, visual collaborators and,  now, this playlist of guiding songs.

If the hard-hitting music she has been publicly championing is any indication, Harvey’s next chapter is likely to push further into atmospheric, narrative‑rich territory, drawing strength from the adventurous voices she has chosen to spotlight.

The award-winning festival has 9 brilliant stages and has held host to numerous notorious live performances including that of Calvin Harris, The Prodigy, Blondie, Mumford & Sons and countless other famous artists.

Kendal Calling has finally shared over 100 acts that will be taking the stage in 2026. The four impressive headliners are Two Door Cinema Club, Biffy Clyro, Wolf Alice, and The Kooks. Joining them in the small print are Scissor Sisters, The Libertines, The Snuts and many more.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kendal Calling (@kendalcalling)

2026 calls for the festivals 20th anniversary, so it is bound to be a special one. As of the lineup release the festival is already teetering on being sold out, with 95 percent of tickets sold pre line up. People flock to the festival simply for its community and the values it promotes, the musical acts being a brilliant bonus.

Irish indie band, Two Door Cinema Club are guaranteed to put on a prodigious show. The 3-man band are advertised on the bill to be performing their debut album, ‘Tourist History’ in full and countless others of their greatest hits. ‘Undercover Martyn’ and ‘What You Know’ are two songs by the beloved indie band that will surely get anyone dancing and we cannot wait to see what they do on the incredible stages at Kendal Calling. Nostalgia sells, and people often attend their favourite artists’ shows wishing they could see a minute of their earliest songs, and Two Door Cinema Club is doing exactly this by offering this lucky crowd a full set of their cult classics!

Brighton based, indie rock band, The Kooks are also one not to miss. Experimental sounds of post-punk revival The Kooks sure know how to put on a show. Everybody knows their hit single, ‘Naïve’ (if you do not it’s pretty shameful), the song charted at number five on the UK singles chart in 2006, becoming one of the UK’s best-selling singles of its time. Witnessing a crowd screaming along to that opening guitar riff is going to be a true out of body experience.

Not only does Kendal Calling host live music for all its wonderful visitors, it also continues to be the home of other events including comedy, art, kids’ events, a range of food and drink options and the ‘Lost Eden’ wonderland. There is simply something for everyone.

‘Lost Eden’ unbeknownst to many, is known as ‘an area with creativity and escapism at its core.’ as dubbed by Kendal Calling’s official website. It consists of micro venues, additional entertainment, art displays and campfires. It is something you have to see to believe, a truly unique festival experience.

Kendal Calling is like no other as despite it’s success it remains a festival that produces events for its dedicated supporters year after year. Secure your tickets now for 2026 before they are gone!

In the interview, he also revealed details of changes to the camping design with new sections, made specifically for solo punters, eco-friendly visitors, the LGBTQ+ community and many more.

He shared: “I think it’s not just the biggest overhaul in the festival’s history, but in all festivals’ history. I was reflecting, and I realised that I was here in the ‘70s, and the campsite hadn’t changed very much since then! Reading Festival is always perceived as just for 16-year-olds, but actually, there are a lot of other age groups here. So the idea that we would have a calm campsite for people who don’t want to stay up all night had been knocking on my door for a little while,” he adds. “So I had the idea that we would have a campsite that focused on the LGBT+ community, and a women’s campsite, and an eco campsite, and one for people that come on their own. The response has been wonderful. I mean, much better than I anticipated.”

“We invested a lot more money into the toilets and the showers and these ‘Get Ready With Me’ stations— and the idea that people would want to blow dry their hair at a festival is not something I would have anticipated 30 years ago, or even 10 years ago. But this new generation want to do that, and I’m glad to be able to provide it for them.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Reading & Leeds Festival (@officialrandl)

The organiser also shared his excitement about receiving huge artists such as Bring Me The Horizon, Hozier, Chappell Roan and more whilst also taking pride in the very diverse lineup this year: “Ultimately, their popularity stands out because we have to book artists that will fill the audience, but it’s also about what today’s ticket buyer wants. I think across the three nights we’ve ticked absolutely every box.”

Melvin stayed honest in the fact that he kept his eye open for potential headliners this year, hinting that some acts might come back for the 2026 festival: “There are two or three on the bill this year that I think are future headliners… but I’ve stopped predicting that to the public because I think it’s a burden on the artists to say, ‘You’re tipped as being a future headliner… but will you be?’ One of the things that we do here is give acts a chance to go through the ranks. Let them start on one of the smaller stages and come all the way through.”

“I’ve already got headliners for two of the three nights booked already for next year, and I’m really confident about the artists. I feel like we’re in a stronger position than I can remember for an awfully long time. I can’t remember when I’ve ever had two of the three nights booked by this stage. We’ve had one booked by this stage, but I can’t remember ever having two of the three.”

Reading & Leeds took place last weekend and so an enormous amount of artists showcase their most incredible sets like Chappell Roan and her fairy magic or Bring Me The Horizon and their outspokenness for a free world and a free Palestine.