One Day, After School new release
Out today is the impressive new release by One Day, After School entitled Are You Awake? It’s a melancholic track in which the vocals, left low in the mix, act like an anchor in the multi-layered composition. It starts from a solitary piano note through to a nervy clock ticking sound before the track starts…
Read MoreVan Morrison for Wickham Festival 2020
Wickham Festival doesn’t do things by halves. The lineup of the friendly, small 4‑day event has consistently aimed for the top, and this year has managed to secure Van Morrison for its Saturday headliner. Van’s the Wickham man Organiser Peter Chegwyn said: “This is absolutely massive for us – and for the village. It will…
Read MoreElephant Stone: powerful beauty of new album Hollow
Montreal psychedelic band Elephant Stone released their latest album Hollow on February 14th. I first saw them at The Lexington in 2011 and their stunning set remains etched on my memory, the powerful and hypnotic set closer Don’t You Know cementing an ongoing love for this band, and in particular, Rishi Dhir’s thrilling sitar playing.…
Read MoreFeatured single of the week: Crazy Enough by Pattern Pusher
They supported Wolf Alice and Supergrass in 2019, scaled the heights of the BBC6 Music playlist and even have a Robert Plant connection. The band in question is Pattern Pusher, who I saw at Bearded Theory festival last year and was impressed by their upbeat, funky set, skittering summer beats and beautiful bass lines. Now the…
Read MoreLost Village festival 2020: first announcement
The little Lincolnshire festival Lost Village has released its first lineup: Bombay Bicycle Club, Bonobo (DJ set), Four Tet, Django Django, Floating Points (live), Kojey Radical, Dixon, Honey Dijon, Ross from Friends, Craig Charles, Norman Jay and lots more. Lost Village creates a sonic tapestry with red-hot emerging names and established luminaries in equal measure. A…
Read MoreA talk on photographer Shirley Baker at Hyde Park Picture House, Leeds
On Saturday 25th January, the famed Hyde Park Picture House in Leeds will feature a talk on Shirley Baker titled Through the Eyes of Shirley Baker: Documentary Photography from the 1950s until now. The talk is part of the launch of a new book by Lou Stoppard, showing many of Shirley Baker’s unseen works, and…
Read MoreIndependent Venue Week 2020
Independent Venue Week lights up the end of January with a fabulous roll-call of musicians at venues around the country. It’s the seventh IVW 2020, and it’s happening Monday 27th January to Sunday 2 February. This year celebrations include intimate live shows and tours, a feature documentary and a new live record release – details…
Read MoreSpecial Phildel gig at St Pancras Old Church
Phildel will be returning to the atmospheric and intimate St Pancras Old Church for a special gig on Friday, February 21st where she’ll be performing songs from The Disappearance of the Girl and Wave your Flags but as you’ve never heard them before, with the accompaniment of strings and choir. St Pancras Old Church was Phildel’s choice…
Read MoreBest albums of 2019
These are the 2019 albums that I have on restricted-play mode, in case I overdo it. These are best played when you’re on your own. No distractions and no playing them as mood music in the background – who wants some random person to suddenly start talking to you just as you get to the…
Read MoreInterview: Bliss are back with a tour and re-release
Bliss are back. First there was the stunning performance at Nambucca in north London earlier this year, with former members Rachel Morrison and Tom E Morrison on top form – along with their new Brazilian band. Fired up with enthusiasm after such a great response, the couple have been hard at work making things happen.…
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