This week on Beers & B-Sides, we pull up a chair in the pub, grab a few pints, and take a deep dive into Jake Bugg’s self-titled debut album (2012).

Join us as we explore the record that introduced the world to one of Britain’s most exciting young singer-songwriters. We discuss the story behind Jake Bugg’s rise to fame, his early influences, and how he developed his distinctive blend of indie rock, folk, and acoustic songwriting.

As always, we also rewind to 2012 to look at the major news stories, cultural moments, and events happening around the world when the album was released. Then it’s onto the music as we reveal our favourite tracks, debate the songs we’d skip, share our live concert experiences, and deliver our all-important Last Orders Verdict: would we spend our hard-earned cash on this vinyl record?

If you love vinyl records, album reviews, classic albums, indie music, pub conversations, music history, and discovering the stories behind great records, this episode is for you.

🍺 Featured Album: Jake Bugg – Jake Bugg (2012)

🎵 Favourite Songs & Hidden Gems

⏭️ Tracks We’d Skip

🎤 Have We Seen Jake Bugg Live?

📰 A Look Back at 2012

💿 Last Orders Verdict

Follow Beers & B-Sides for weekly vinyl album deep dives, honest reviews, music nostalgia, and great pub chat.

#JakeBugg #VinylRecords #AlbumReview #IndieRock #MusicPodcast #BeersAndBSides #RecordCollection #VinylCommunity #BritishMusic #SingerSongwriter

This week on Beers & B-Sides, we're settling into the pub with a few pints and putting one of the most influential albums of the 1980s on the turntable: The Smiths' Meat Is Murder.

Widely regarded as a landmark alternative rock record, Meat Is Murder helped cement The Smiths as one of the defining bands of their generation. But does it still hold up today, and is it really as untouchable as its reputation suggests?

As always, we kick things off by looking back at 1985, exploring some of the biggest news stories, cultural moments and events from the year the album was released before diving into the history of The Smiths and their rise to fame.

From there, we break down the album track by track, discuss our favourite songs, examine its themes and legacy, and share our honest opinions on the record. We also touch on the darker political themes within the album, the lasting impact of its title track, and the controversy that continues to surround Morrissey decades after the album's release.

This wasn't a unanimous favourite around the table. While we can appreciate the album's influence and importance, our scores and opinions might surprise some die-hard Smiths fans.

Expect plenty of laughs, pub chat, random tangents, questionable takes and the relaxed atmosphere that comes from a group of friends talking music over a few beers.

In our famous Last Orders Verdict, we answer the question:

Would we actually spend our own money to add Meat Is Murder to our vinyl collections?

🍺 Honest album review
📀 Vinyl collector perspective
🎵 Favourite tracks and standout moments
📰 A trip back to 1985
🎙️ Music history, debate and pub chat
🔥 The Morrissey question and the album's lasting legacy

Whether you're a lifelong Smiths fan, discovering the album for the first time, or just love music discussion and vinyl culture, pull up a chair and join us for another round of Beers & B-Sides.

#TheSmiths #MeatIsMurder #AlbumReview #VinylRecords #MusicPodcast #AlternativeRock #Morrissey #RecordCollection #BeersAndBSides

This week on Beers & B-Sides, we’re pouring a few pints and spinning RAYE’s latest album, This Music May Contain Hope.

As always, we kick things off with a look at the year of the album’s release, exploring the biggest news, cultural moments and notable events from the time before diving into the artist behind the record. From RAYE’s journey through the music industry to her rise as one of the UK’s most talked-about artists, we set the scene before dropping the needle.

Then it’s onto the album itself. We break down the songs, discuss the themes, share our favourite tracks, and give our honest opinions on whether this record deserves a place in your vinyl collection.

But this episode gets surprisingly divisive. While some of us think RAYE has delivered something special, others aren’t quite convinced. Expect plenty of debate, questionable takes, laughs, tangents, pub chat and the usual laid-back atmosphere as friends talk music over a few beers.

Finally, we deliver our famous Last Orders Verdict: would we actually spend our own money on this vinyl record?

🍺 RAYE album review

🎵 Favourite songs and standout moments

📀 Vinyl buying verdict

📰 Events from the year of release

🎙️ Music discussion, pub chat and plenty of laughs

If you enjoy album reviews, vinyl collecting, music podcasts, record collecting, and honest conversations about great (and not-so-great) music, pull up a chair and join us.

#RAYE #ThisMusicMayContainHope #AlbumReview #VinylRecords #MusicPodcast #RecordCollection #SpotifyPodcast #BeersAndBSides

Pull up a stool and pour yourself a pint — this week on Beers & B-Sides we’re spinning the indie classic Employment by Kaiser Chiefs.

We take a deep dive into the album that soundtracked the mid-2000s indie explosion, chatting through the band’s rise, the stories behind the tracks, favourite moments on the record, and whether Employment still hits as hard 20 years on.

From “I Predict a Riot” to “Oh My God”, expect plenty of pints, opinions, and nostalgic tangents along the way.

We also crack open another edition of Home Brewed, where we shine a light on the best local talent from the North East. This week we’re featuring Vennels and talking about their latest release.

So grab a beer, drop the needle, and join us at the bar.

Come and join us as we take a deep dive into the world of The Molotovs and their debut album: Wasted On Youth.

An energetic band who have burst onto the scene and blew people away with their sound. We’re talking all about how the band formed, their style and inspiration, the many controversies surrounding the band on social media and giving our own insights into the band, album and much much more. We will also be looking at the various pressings of the record on vinyl from our personal collections.

We continue with our weekly segment ‘Home Brewed’ where we introduce you to a local band/artist of ours (North East England) who is on our radar at the moment, this week it’s featuring the hugely talented Tom A. Smith.

All while sipping on some home brew beer of our own, still on the raspberry sour this week!

So take a seat, pour yourself a drink and meet us down the bar🍻

Come and join us as we take a deep dive into the world of madness!

We’re talking all about how the band formed and all the drama that unfolded in the year of its release! We’ll also be looking at a UK first pressing of the record on vinyl, giving our insight into our favourite songs, lyric’s and a general review of the album and much much more.

We’re introducing our new segment ‘Home Brewed’ where we introduce you to a brilliant local band/artist of ours!

This week we’re sipping on some home brew of our own for the first time a raspberry sours beer!

So take a seat, pour yourself a drink and meet us down the bar 🍻

Pour yourself a cold one and come and join us as we talk through this year’s record store day, from pickup’s, controversies, opinions and plenty laughs along the way.