On March 24th, 2023, Dublin-based band Lankum released their fourth record, and third for Rough Trade, False Lankum. Across the 12 tracks, composed of 10 traditional songs and two originals, the four-piece used a new palate to colour their sound in an increasingly experimental way, leaning into heavy drones and sonic distortion that imparts new intensity and beauty into each offering. From the start, the band planned for False Lankum to feel like a complete piece – a progression and a journey for the listener. “We wanted to create more contrast on the record so the light parts would be almost spiritual and the dark parts would be incredibly dark, even horror inducing,” they explain. False Lankum was lauded as the #1 record of the year from Uncut, Loud and Quiet, along with The Quietus. Listen to “Go Dig My Grave” below:

On March 10th, electronic post-punk duo Sleaford Mods released their new album UK Grim, through Rough Trade Records. Truly the sound of now, not only in terms of the ideas and issues singer Jason Williamson’s strong words invoke, but also thanks to the innovative and immersive production from his bandmate, Andrew Fearn. Angry yet artful, innovative yet possessing an instinctual energy that irresistibly moves bodies and minds, UK Grim is an erudite electronic vision that truly engages with times that have been anything but ‘precedented’. Across the 14-track record the pair collaborate on songs with Jane’s Addiction’s creative powerhouse, Perry Farrell and Dave Navarro, along with Florence Shaw, the distinct and vital voice at the heart of British band Dry Cleaning.