Insider Monthly #5

Hello No Ripcord supporters,

Welcome to May’s Insider Monthly—our supporters-only newsletter where we step behind the No Ripcord curtain and talk honestly about what we’ve been listening to, arguing about, and thinking through each month. As ever, we’ll cover:

🎧 Our favourite album of the month

💔 Our biggest disappointment

🔜 The album we’re most excited for next

💿 A classic record we can’t stop playing

📝 Plus some personal notes and behind-the-scenes reflections from running the site

The opening section is free to read — supporters receive the full edition each month.

So, if you enjoy this preview, please consider becoming a supporter for just $20 per year. Your support helps keep No Ripcord independent, ad-free, and fiercely opinionated—your home of honest music criticism.

💿 Old Favourites

Juan:

After hearing the new track “You You You” by Scottish duo Arab Strap, I found myself on a mini-binge through their entire oeuvre. It got me thinking about how, despite the rich diversity of their catalogue, they’ve leaned more heavily into dance-oriented territory in recent years. In that spirit, I’m sharing the not-so-dancy “Don't Ask Me to Dance” from what remains their least Arab Strap-like album to date—and one of my personal favourites—The Last Romance.

David:

I’ve been listening to a fair bit of Teenage Fanclub recently and I stumbled upon this early ’90s recording of Big Star’s Alex Chilton performing “Alcoholiday” with the Glaswegian band. It’s one of my favourite tracks from the outstanding Bandwagonesque, and Alex absolutely nails it here. It’s crazy to think he’s been gone for sixteen years.