* It’s turning out to be a great year for fans of Oxford’s musical legends, particularly those for whom the glory days were the 1990s.

First we had former Supergrass frontman Gaz Coombes getting everyone very excited with his second solo effort, Matador, and a run of critically-acclaimed shows.

Then indie heroes Ride announced their reform-ation and tour. Now fellow Shoegazers Swervedriver are thrilling fans with their own reunion.

Swervedriver were one of the best bands of the late 80s and early 90s. Formed by key members Adam Franklin and Jim Hartridge in 1989, they mastered that perfect balance of wraparound guitars and painfully beau-tiful harmony. Now they are back with their first album in 18 years, I Wasn’t Born To Lose You, featuring the tune Deep Wound.

The record is out now on Cherryred.co.uk

The band play a long-awaited hometown show at the O2 Academy on May 22. Tickets are £15 from ticketweb.co.uk

* While we’re still in the 90s, dig out those fluffy leg warmers and jars of Vicks Vapour Rub because the king of retro house is in the… err... house. Judge Jules is one of the dons of dance, up there with the likes of Pete Tong Sasha and Danny Rampling.

And since we first heard him in the early days of rave, he hasn’t stopped.

Celebrate the longevity of the superstar DJ by raising your arms in the air and getting all sweaty for his set at Warehouse in Park End Street next Thursday, March 26. The show is part of an 18-date world tour.

We caught up with Jules this week to ask him the secret to long-lasting popularity in the DJ booth.

“I don’t think you can fool anybody,” he told us.

“You can’t fake it and I absolutely love what I do and pour everything into it; my heart and soul. These days I am a music lawyer during the week and just DJ at weekends, but it’s still a job that takes a massive amount of background work.

“For every two-hour performance, there are multiple hours of preparation and it’s that hard work in the background and that genuine, impossible-to-fake enthusiasm during my performances that have given me longevity.”

He added: “The Judge won’t budge.”

All rise! More details from judgejules.net/