There’s a lot to be said for pure originality – without it our lives would be severely lacking in, well, pretty much everything. In music though, pure originality is a fair less admirable quality. The truly original bands tend to…
Brian’s Mixtape #27: Hot to Trot
Following last week’s shameful booze-fuelled fiasco, Brian’s plunged like a lead balloon into a pit of depression so deep and wide that it’s been necessary to rescue him from his slum of a nest and reinstall him (temporarily, we hope)…
Save 6 Music: Noah and the Whale lend support with video
Folky foursome Noah and the Whale have spoken out about the proposed closure of 6music on their blog. The band said: “The BBC is currently facing great tragedy. A tragedy that will be catastrophic on all alternative music groups, new…
Broken Sound Blog: Rachael Dadd’s Moth In The Motor Arts Project
Vinyl is awesome. I’m a sucker for the ceremony and (beyond that epic sound) vinyl records provide a pretty amazing canvas for artwork. We thought we’d make the most of that for Rachael Dadd’s new mini-album Moth In The Motor.…
Live: Sparrow & the Workshop @ Wimbledon Watershed
Each musician in Sparrow & the Workshop brings their own musical ingredient. Frontwoman and acoustic guitarist Jill O’Sullivan’s country vocals are cuttingly pure — but more haunting banshee than soothing angel. Gregor Donaldson is a phenomenal drummer, his dexterity is sometimes astonishing. As well as that he’s that most elusive of things, a singing percussionist, whose warm Scottish baritone adds harmonic depth to Jill’s vocals. Guitarist and bassist Nick Packer scuzzes things up nicely with a layer of distortion and noise.
Album: Tunng – …And Then We Saw Land
There’s nothing strikingly different about …And Then We Saw Land, Tunng’s fourth record. All of the main ingredients for a modern British folk album are present – the harmonies, cheerful melodies and casual banjo are all present and correct. Though…