We all know books are sexy, in which case the annual Hay Festival is likely to get you rather hot under the collar, with the likes of Bill Bryson, Zadie Smith and Tom Stoppard (plus many, many more) gracing the programme. But if you prefer to get…
Author: Lois Jeary
Lois is a freelance journalist who writes about both music and theatre. Her musical quest is to recreate the tingly feeling she got when she first saw Rilo Kiley do ‘With Arms Outstretched’ – M. Ward and Joanna Newsom come closest. Sharing music with others is the single most erotic thing she knows, so don’t tell her you like what she recommended to you unless you really mean ‘I love you too’.
Blog: Will the next Joni Mitchell please stand up?
Mitchell, Baez and Dylan take to the stage during his Rolling Thunder Revue Of course it’s possible to go round in endless circles discussing Joni Mitchell’s recent comments about Bob Dylan’s authenticity, and whether or not they were legitimate, fair…
FFS interview: The Bundles
Whether or not they should be described as ‘Antifolk’ seems to be a matter of debate; however, one thing is for certain – The Bundles is a remarkable concoction of musicians who each owe something to the collaborative, supportive musical community based…
Live: Joanna Newsom @ Royal Festival Hall
As he leaves the stage, support act and folk legend Roy Harper sums the night up perfectly, before it has even happened: we are about to be treated to “one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen, performing some of…
Live: She & Him @ Koko
She & Him have always felt a little bit too good to be true. Take an indie boy’s dream starlet, pair her up with one of the folk world’s most talented musicians, and let the two of them make sweet,…
Album: Turner Cody – Gangbusters!
Over the years, Turner Cody hasn’t strayed far from the country-twanged folk that characterised his early contribution ‘Unconscious Repeat’ on the 2002 compilation Antifolk Vol. 1. In the time that Adam Green has gone from painful shrieking clarinets to smooth…
Diane Cluck and Anders Griffen announce new UK shows
There are some names that every self-respecting folk fan should know; in my humblest of opinions, Diane Cluck is one of them. With her distinctive, sparse guitar picking tempered by a strong, almost world-wearied voice and disconcertingly perceptive lyrics, Diane’s…
Opera glasses and picnic hampers at the ready for Rufus Wainwright
Judging by the number of appearances he is putting in over the coming months it can be concluded that Rufus Wainwright is rather fond of our fair shores, which is nice really because we are certainly rather fond of him. His opera, Prima…
The Bundles: the ultimate Antifolk team tour the UK
‘Supergroup’ is such a hideous term, sullied as it has been by a deluge of well-meaning yet utterly annoying charity singles, that it seems crass to use it to describe something as wonderful as The Bundles. Yet use it we must, for…