Blur (Musical Group)

1997 New Times Music Awards Showcase

This Year's Sport Model

After tinkering with its original mod design, this hard-rocking foursome is ready to cruise off the showroom floor

American Without Tears

Blur trades its status as Britpop laureate for a dose of Amerindie messiness

Calendar for the week

Blur trades its status as Britpop laureate for a dose of Amerindie messiness

Dandy Lions

Novelty single aside, Portland's Dandy Warhols should have more than 15 minutes of fame awaiting them

Recordings

Novelty single aside, Portland's Dandy Warhols should have more than 15 minutes of fame awaiting them

Critics' Choice

A year-end recap of the albums that made it worthwhile to own a stereo in 1997

Well Respected Man

With The Storyteller, Ray Davies finds a new way for rock to age gracefully

Recordings

With The Storyteller, Ray Davies finds a new way for rock to age gracefully

Suicide Squeeze

Squeeze's messy career might require a scorecard, but few tunesmiths can rival the band's catalogue

Recordings

Squeeze's messy career might require a scorecard, but few tunesmiths can rival the band's catalogue

Grist From the Mill

Music Awards Showcase once again makes a virtue of excess

Bis

Return to Central (spinART)

Spacemonkeyz vs. Gorillaz

Laika Come Home (Astralwerks)

Vile With a Smile

Bright Young Things illuminates novel

Blur

Band finds focus on new album

The Romantic Fence

Idlewild may mix post-Brit Pop identities, but the tension helped the Scots make one of the year's best albums

Blur

Think Tank (EMI)

Rocking Maniac

Where there's a Willis, there's a schizophrenic cult icon who can whup all of rock's mad geniuses

Air

10,000 Hz Legend (Astralwerks)

Let's See Action

Mogwai mouths off, shuts up, and releases its most rewarding album yet

SWAG

Catchall (Yep Roc)

Fresh Ground

Stephen Malkmus leaves Pavement behind with a slanted and enchanting solo debut

She Writes the Songs

Boston-based singer/songwriter Melissa Ferrick lets Freedom ring on a new recording

Paperback Writer

Trashman pours his beer-fueled soul into a saga of Guns n' Mooks

Recordings

Trashman pours his beer-fueled soul into a saga of Guns n' Mooks