The 2026 No Ripcord Annual Report
No Ripcord relaunched on 10 October 2025. How did the first 12 months of our supporter-funded model go, and what are our hopes for 2027 and beyond?
No Ripcord features
Features
Essays, interviews, guides, archive pieces and long-form music criticism from No Ripcord — independent writing that goes beyond the review cycle.
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2026
2026
The 2026 No Ripcord Reader Survey
Tell us what you think of No Ripcord. Please complete our short, anonymous survey to help shape our plans for the coming year.
2026
10 Albums to Look Forward to in October 2026
Our monthly preview looks ahead to new records from Greg Freeman, Dawn Richard, DIIV, Queens of the Stone Age, Wishy, and more.
2026
Were 2009’s Defining Indie Landmarks Ultimately a Dead End?
Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear defined indie music in 2009, but in hindsight both Merriweather and Veckatimest feel like the end of something special rather than the new beginning we were promised at the time.
2026
10 Albums to Look Forward to in September 2026
Our monthly preview looks ahead to new records from Protomartyr, This Is Lorelei, Arab Strap, The Tubs, Slow Pulp, and more.
2026
Badly Drawn Boy’s The Hour of the Bewilderbeast Revisited
Bewilderbeast scooped the 2000 Mercury Prize and launched the career of Damon Gough. But how does it stand up today?
2026
10 Albums to Look Forward to in August 2026
Things are warming up nicely. The challenge this month was keeping our preview down to ten picks. New records from Kiwi Jr., Interpol, Westside Cowboy, and Weezer feature.
2026
Tramlines 2026 Review: Sheffield’s Biggest Party Exceeds the Sum of Its Parts
Sheffield’s biggest festival delivered a weekend of nostalgia interspersed with moments of brilliance.
2026
World Cup Fever: Where Music Meets Football and Fashion
Through its stunning World Cup-inspired collaboration with premium designers Full Kit, venerable indie label 4AD is the latest musical institution to venture into the world of football fashion. We explore this growing trend and consider the wider relationships between music, football, and fashion.
2026
The Clash’s Live Debut: Sheffield’s Punk Moment That Wasn’t
50 years ago today, The Clash played their first gig in Sheffield, supporting Sex Pistols. An outraged gig-goer claimed that “both bands were crap,” but what was the show really like? And what impact did it have on the city?
2026
10 Albums to Look Forward to in July 2026
July’s already thin release schedule is dominated by big pop releases. We’ve picked out the highlights.
2026
Every Weezer Album Ranked From Worst to Best
Of all the modern rock discographies to rank, Weezer’s is probably the trickiest. When a band divides opinion this sharply—even within their own fanbase—you know consensus is out of the question. And yet here we are, ranking Weezer’s fifteen studio albums regardless.
2026
Death Cab For Cutie Interview (2002)
Death Cab For Cutie’s eleventh studio album, I Built You a Tower, is out now. To celebrate the landmark, we are revisiting a classic early interview with the band from the No Ripcord archive.
2026
10 Albums to Look Forward to in June 2026
Our regular preview rounds up ten of the most hotly anticipated records from the month ahead, including new releases from Vince Staples, Death Cab For Cutie, Olivia Rodrigo, Modest Mouse, and more.
2026
Are We Human? Why The Killers and the Enhanced Games Make An Unseemly Match
The Killers’ decision to headline the Enhanced Games closing ceremony is a grubby example of music-washing and should be condemned as such.
2026
Big Star Interview (2009)
In 2009, No Ripcord caught up with Jody Stephens and Andy Hummel to discuss the legacy of Big Star—popular music’s greatest cult band.
2026
Groovy, Laidback & Nasty: A History of Independent Music in Sheffield
Daniel Dylan Wray’s Groovy, Laidback & Nasty is a meticulously researched history of Sheffield music that captures the city’s strange mix of creativity, humility, and myth-making. Its appeal will extend far beyond the city’s boundaries.
2026
10 Albums to Look Forward to in May 2026
Our regular preview rounds up ten of the most hotly anticipated records from the month ahead, including new releases from Broken Social Scene, Weird Nightmare, The Field, Iceage, and more.
2026
Miracle Legion’s The Backyard Revisited
Miracle Legion’s The Backyard EP is a cult classic from the ’80s college rock scene.
2026
Black Tambourine Interview (2010)
In 2010, influential cult band Black Tambourine were experiencing a surge of momentum. Our interview captures the mood of this period, as we explore their lasting legacy and efforts to share their music more broadly, hoping to break their best-kept secret status.
2026
10 Albums to Look Forward to in April 2026
In our regular preview, we look at the month ahead and new releases from Friko, Prism Shores, Sunn O))), and Foo Fighters.
2026
M83 Interview (2004)
In early 2004, French duo M83 were still coming to terms with the unexpected success of their breakout album, Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts. Our interview from that time captures a modest band at the precise moment when everything around them is changing.
2026
Iceage, Brigitte Calls Me Baby and the Questions Music Journalists Won’t Ask
Iceage once faced intense scrutiny for provocative imagery. In 2026, similar questions often go unasked. The spark for this piece? Brigitte Calls Me Baby—and the band name music journalists mention, but rarely interrogate.
2026
MF DOOM Interview (2004)
In 2004, No Ripcord scored a rare interview with MF DOOM—and, by sheer accident, became the first publication to hear MM..FOOD after his manager mistakenly sent over an advance copy. Republished from the archive, this is DOOM at a pivotal creative peak.
2026
The Comsat Angels Interview (2009)
Memorably described as “the band Joy Division could have been,” Sheffield’s Comsat Angels remain the city’s best kept secret. Our 2009 interview captures the band’s mindset at the time of their brief comeback.
2026
10 Albums to Look Forward to in March 2026
February ended with a bang, and March promises to keep the momentum going with a slate of top-tier releases. We’ve picked out ten highlights you won’t want to miss.
2026
Interpol Interview (2003)
In this 2003 interview, Interpol drummer Sam Fogarino discusses their breakthrough success, Joy Division comparisons, and the creative instincts shaping the New York quartet.
2026
The Wrens’ The Meadowlands Revisited
Released in 2003, The Meadowlands is regarded as an indie rock classic. But how does the final album by New Jersey’s most famously unreliable band stand up today?
2026
10 Albums to Look Forward to in February 2026
Things look set to warm up in February. The stacked release calendar features big hitters, hyped debutants, and hotly anticipated comebacks. We select our ten highlights.
2026
I Am The Cosmos: Chris Bell and the Secrets That (Mostly) Don’t Exist
Legendary Big Star singer/guitarist Chris Bell would have turned 75-years-old today. In his honour, we are delighted to share this wonderful 2022 article by Weston Cutter—one of the finest pieces of long-form writing we’ve ever published.
2025
10 Albums to Look Forward to in January 2026
As the dust settles on our 2025 retrospectives, we are turning our attention to the year ahead. 2026’s release schedule already gives us some clues as to what musical delights lie ahead. To make things easier for you to keep track, we’ve collected ten highlights for January.
2025
The Worst Albums of 2025
Enough of the positivity. It's time to get critical. What were 2025's worst reviewed records? And what do they say about the state of music criticism?
2025
The Best Albums of 2025
We are excited to reveal our Best 50 Albums of 2025, continuing an annual No Ripcord tradition that dates back to 2002. Dig in, enjoy the picks, get unnecessarily worked up about the omissions, and share widely!
2025
The Best Albums of 2025: Bubbling Under
These twenty albums may have narrowly missed our Top 50, but they're simply too good to go unrecognised. Our Bubbling Under feature gives them the spotlight they deserve.
2025
My Bloody Valentine: Live at Aviva Studios, Manchester
The Irish shoegaze legends have a unique relationship with noise. The passage of time has not dulled their potency.
2025
Waiting for Jesso
Tobias Jesso Jr. wowed critics in 2015 with his stunning debut, Goon. Was his long-awaited follow-up worth waiting for?
2025
Remembering Sam Jayne, Five Years On
Next month marks the fifth anniversary of Sam Jayne’s death. The former Lync and Love as Laughter man was only 46 years old when he passed away, leaving behind a strong legacy of wonderful music.
2025
The Best Swervedriver Songs, Ranked
Swervedriver’s beguiling fusion of rock and shoegaze set them apart from Creation labelmates Ride, Slowdive, and My Bloody Valentine. These are the band’s twenty best songs.
2025
No Ripcord: The Home of Honest Music Criticism
No Ripcord is back with a renewed focus and a website that actually works.
2025
The Best Idlewild Songs, Ranked
With the release of their self-titled 10th album, Juan reflects on the cult Scottish rockers' career.
2025
MF DOOM: A Beginner’s Guide
Twenty years on from the end of his imperial phase, this tasty playlist serves up a easy to digest introduction to rap’s original 'super villain'.
2025
Straight Outta… Spalding?
How did a Lincolnshire power pop legend end up on a Hip Hop classic? David Coleman investigates.
2025
Be Here Now: The Enduring Influence of Oasis
Echoes of the Manchester band's sound can be heard far beyond the lad rock of Kasabian and White Lies. David Coleman explores their complicated legacy.
2024
The Best Albums of 2024
This is it! It’s time to reveal our top albums of 2024. A longstanding tradition since 2002, our full list consists of 50 albums selected by the entire No Ripcord staff.
2023
The Best Albums of 2023
This 2023 end of year list features our favourite 50 albums of the year, as selected by the entire No Ripcord team.
2022
The Best Albums of 2022
We have reclaimed our Best Albums of 2022 feature from the archive so you can enjoy it here. Dive in and reacquaint yourself with some recent classics.
2021
The Best Albums of 2021
We have reclaimed our Best Albums of 2021 feature from the archive so you can enjoy it here. Check it out and rediscover some old favourites.
2020
The Best Albums of 2020
2020 was a tumultuous and traumatic year for many of us. Our best fifty albums list celebrates the best releases of the pandemic year, including heavyweight hits from Fiona Apple, Phoebe Bridgers, Run The Jewels, and more.
2019
The Best Albums of 2019
The 2010s signed off in style with a strong year of releases. Its best fifty albums are highlighted here, in our traditional end of year list.
2018
The Best Albums of 2018
Our best fifty albums of 2018 list celebrates the finest releases of the year, including modern classics from U.S. Girls, Iceage, SOPHIE, and Mitski.
2017
The Best Albums of 2017
Our best fifty albums of 2017 list celebrates the finest releases of the year, including modern classics from Lorde, Kendrick Lamar, St Vincent, and Protomartyr.
2005
The Best Albums of 2005
In anticipation of our upcoming End of Year coverage, we take a look back at what we were raving about twenty years ago. Let the nostalgia commence!
2004
The Best Albums of 2004
Our 2004 albums list captures a golden year for indie rock. Revisit the records that defined No Ripcord’s listening back then—and see which ones still hold up more than twenty years later.
2003
The Best Albums of 2003
Our 2003 albums list captures a year when indie rock was flourishing, pop was sharpening its edges, and tastes were starting to broaden. Revisit the records that defined No Ripcord’s listening back then—and see which ones still hold their ground two decades later.
2002
The Best Albums of 2002
Our very first end of year feature came in 2002, when we rounded up our top 50 albums of the year—a tradition we’ve maintained ever since.