Best Of Clash: Our Features Of 2014 So Far

From Elton's greatest LP to grime's early days...

For a lot of us, we’ve a long weekend ahead. Something to do with bunnies, or eggs, or a combination of the two, or something – and we were so sure that rabbits gave birth to live young. Anyway, point is: Clash isn’t around again until Tuesday, so here’s a selection of our finest features of 2014 so far, for you to explore on your extended break.

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Spotlight Special: Elton John’s ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’
As Elton’s (pictured) best-ever LP marks its 40th anniversary, Clash speaks to all of the essential players in its making – yes, including Elton himself. If he’s alive, he’s here, in what is obviously the most comprehensive account of the making of ‘GYBR’ ever committed to the internet.
Read it here.

Spice Up Your Life: Mø Interviewed
Clash caught up with the Danish pop artist to talk about her punk roots and debut album ‘No Mythologies To Follow’. That, and the Spice Girls. Obviously.
Read it here.

In Conversation: St Vincent
What a year that Annie Clark is having. Clash played ‘Digital Witness’ to an interview that saw the singer discuss her new “Blade Runner album”, collaborating with Sufjan Stevens, and how her alter ego best manifests itself.
Read it here.

Tales From The Grime Generation: Dexplicit Interviewed
You might not immediately recognise the name, but you’ll know his beats. Dexplicit is the producer who steered Lethal Bizzle’s ‘Pow! (Forward)’ to success, and in this exclusive interview he trips down memory lane to remember grime’s earliest rumblings.
Read it here.

Nas On The Mass Hysteria Of ‘Illmatic’
All April, we’ve been toasting the 20th anniversary of what just might be hip-hop’s greatest-ever album, Nas’s 1994 debut ‘Illmatic’. Here, we speak to the man himself, as he details the making of a modern masterpiece.
Read it here.

Glorious Mess: Liars Gallop Back Into Action
Liars have always changed their spots between album releases – but few could have expected their latest LP, ‘Mess’, to be quite as powerful as it turned out. Here, Angus Andrew talks about throwing caution to the wind and just going for it, making an album to get down to with everything cranked well beyond 11.
Read it here.

Shadows Of Today: 10 Years Of ‘Madvillainy’
The team-up of DOOM and Madlib was always likely to result in greatness – and, 10 years on, ‘Madvillainy’ is still rocking the bells in its uniquely wonky way. Clash explores the DNA of this essential rap LP, and wonders whether a sequel will ever emerge.
Read it here.

Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite On Slint’s ‘Spiderland’
It’s talked about as a legendary record – indeed, Clash awarded its recent reissue a perfect 10/10. But just what kind of impact did ‘Spiderland’ have on one of post-rock’s most famous sons, Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite? Quite a substantial one, it turns out.
Read it here.

Clash Likes To Score: The Psychology Of Scoring
You know us journalists, right? Us who put little numbers at the bottom of the reviews you (sometimes) read? Well, what goes through our heads when we’re assessing the records we’re assigned? Writers from the Guardian, Edge, The Quietus, Drowned In Sound and Mojo (and Clash!) discuss the dilemmas involved with being a professional critic.
Read it here.

Clash Meets Ray Winstone
He’s a bladdy legend, this one. From Scum to acting opposite Russell Crowe in the recently released Noah, Clash’s Film section gets up close and personal with one of the UK’s best-loved actors. He wasn’t too forthcoming with the latest football odds, though, which was a disappointment…
Read it here.

Weezer: The Complete Guide
Here’s something to make you feel old: Weezer’s debut LP, commonly known as The Blue Album, is a full 20 years old. So, why not go through the pop-punks’ entire catalogue to see what came next, eh? That’s what we’ve done here – although from ‘Pinkerton’ onwards, we can’t say it’s been an exclusively comfortable experience…
Read it here.

In Conversation: Katy B
She went to number one, you know. And she’s a bit brilliant. Our favourite flame-haired pop star, Katy B is having a grand 2014 so far, rolling along on the acclaim and commercial success of her second album, ‘Little Red’. We spoke to her about, among other things, shooting pool and wearing one’s smalls on stage.
Read it here.

Romancing The System: Clash Meets Spike Jonze
One of the most acclaimed directors of our time, Clash was lucky enough to sit down with Spike Jonze as he promoted his latest movie, Her. Expect chat about Arcade Fire.
Read it here.

Wu-Tang Clan Are Killing Music
Just what is the rap crew’s new ‘Once Upon A Time In Shaolin’ album about, exactly? Is it a new and exciting way to compile songs, a bold statement regarding the disposability of today’s music releases? Or is it, as our man here argues, an utterly terrible move for all concerned…
Read it here.

Slowdive: Some Comebacks Matter More Than Most
It’s the thing to do, isn’t it? Put aside the differences, get on the rocking train once more, if your old bones can take it. But when some bands make their return, it’s a special time indeed – and here, Club AC30’s Robin Allport details why Slowdive’s revival has his heart skipping more than just a single beat.
Read it here.

In Conversation: Run The Jewels
The collaborative project between Killer Mike and El-P produced one of the very best rap records of 2013 – and we kicked off 2014 by speaking to the pair, without much of an agenda, just shooting the shit. But they find time to get deep on the masks of rap, the ways in which artists hide their reality behind an ever-growing fantasy.
Read it here.

Super Vision: Foster The People Find The Answers
One of the biggest pop-rock acts on the planet tells Clash about their new album, ‘Supermodel’. Frontman Mark waxes lyrically on how technology is threatening our fundamental way of living, ponders the madness of war, and elaborates on what it’s like to record without boundaries.
Read it here.

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This, really, is but the very tip of our features iceberg – you’ll find pieces on (or with, about, discussing) Eminem, Bernard Butler, 65daysofstatic, East India Youth, Wild Beasts, Royal Blood, Young Fathers, Angel Haze, Justin Timberlake, Blondie, Evian Christ, John Goodman, Vybz Kartel, Bombay Bicycle Club, Metronomy, George Clinton, Ratking, Green Day, Freddie Gibbs, Swans, Kurt Cobain, Auntie Flo, Kanye West, The Twilight Sad, Jesse Eisenberg, Ian McLagan, Esben And The Witch, Breton and so many more by clicking HERE. And we’re only a third of the way through 2014. Crikey.

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