New Music Reviews
Reissue CDs Weekly: Manfred Mann, The Searchers, The YardbirdsSunday, 12 May 2019
Repackaging and resuscitating the catalogues of endlessly reissued bands is fraught. By their nature, completists already have everything and the casually interested are not fussed by alternate versions of obscure tracks or disinterred lo-fi live recordings. It’s challenging to freshen up or put new spins on predominantly familiar material by endlessly reissued bands. Preaching to the converted is frequently the best which can be hoped for. Read more... |
theartsdesk on Vinyl 49 - Part 1: Keith Richards, Asian Dub Foundation, Popul Vuh, Nirvana, Cage the Elephant and moreSaturday, 11 May 2019
Due to exciting matters beyond theartsdesk on Vinyl’s control there’s been a slight delay to this month’s edition but, never fear, to ensure we cover all that’s juicy, we’re doing a special two-volume version, with Part 2 coming next week. Watch this space. Read more... |
Hugh Jackman, SSE Hydro, Glasgow review - showman plays to his strengths as he kicks off world tourFriday, 10 May 2019
“I hope you’re not only Wolverine fans or this is going to be a long night,” a grinning Hugh Jackman tells a screaming Glasgow crowd. Read more... |
Catfish and the Bottlemen, Cardiff Motorpoint Arena review - irrepressible arena rockTuesday, 07 May 2019
For a time, it looked like Catfish and the Bottlemen might finally be the next-gen guitar band with crossover appeal. Though that never quite came to pass, their new show promoting latest album The Balance proves why the indie faithful value them as Britain’s guiding light. Read more... |
British Paraorchestra: The Nature of Why, Brighton Festival 2019 review - it's a happening!Tuesday, 07 May 2019
The Nature of Why is not so much a concert as a multi-discipline happening. To assess it is to relate a human experience rather than just an aesthetic appreciation of the new orchestral work by Goldfrapp’s Will Gregory which is at its heart. Read more... |
Sergio Mendes, RFH review - tight discipline, exceptional musicianshipTuesday, 07 May 2019
The last time Sergio Mendes, the Brazilian bossa nova legend, played at the Royal Festival Hall was in 1980 when he opened for Frank Sinatra. Read more... |
Rokia Traoré: Né So, Brighton Festival review - an Afro-psychedelic head-fryMonday, 06 May 2019
The last thing many were expecting from Rokia Traoré’s opening appearance at this year’s Brighton Festival was an Afro-psychedelic head-fry, yet she and her four-piece band prove thoroughly capable of swirling our minds right off out of it. When she returns at the end of the concert and announces she’s going to play one last song. A voice shouts out, “Make it a long one!” Happily, it is. Read more... |
Olly Murs, SSE Hydro, Glasgow - a little cheesy, a little laddish, but sincerely entertainingMonday, 06 May 2019
In an alternate timeline, Olly Murs - runner-up on a TV talent show a full decade ago - would have faded into obscurity by now. This, as the relentlessly charming performer on stage delights in reminding us, is not that timeline. Read more... |
Reissue CDs Weekly: Bill Evans - Evans in EnglandSunday, 05 May 2019
The Bill Evans Trio played London’s Ronnie Scott’s from 1 to 27 December 1969 as a co-billing with Blossom Dearie. The season would have remained less than a footnote if it were not for a French fan identified only as ”Jo” in Evans in England’s booklet. Read more... |
Jazz FM Awards 2019 - young guard triumphsThursday, 02 May 2019
Hosted by Jazz FM presenters Chris Philips and Jez Nelson, and taking place in the historic surroundings of Shoreditch Town Hall, this sixth edition of the Jazz FM Awards celebrated the dynamism, passion and vitality of the UK’s young jazz scene, with SEED Ensemble leader Cassie Kinoshi picking up Breakthrough Act of the Year, rising jazz singer Cherise Adams-Burnett receiving Vocalist of the Year, and the... Read more... |
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