reggae
Major Lazer/Toddla T, Shepherd's Bush EmpireFriday, 20 April 2012
It became clear, midway through support act Toddla T that this was going to be a bit special. With a view from the front of the first tier balcony, I could see the melee below and the two balconies above. The Shepherd’s Bush Empire is a gorgeous 109... Read more... |
Afrikan Boy Hard Times video unveiledTuesday, 27 March 2012After some time as a cult favourite thanks to diverse DJ play, the reworking of reggae classic "Hard Times" by Afrikan Boy with grime producer Darq E Freaker and country/soul singer Jeb Loy Nichols has a video.Afrikan Boy, South London rapper and... Read more... |
Manchester Rising: Celebrating the City's Vibrant Club SceneFriday, 27 January 2012
I first heard Zed Bias's Biasonic Hot Sauce – Birth of the Nanocloud last autumn. He may have been one of the key players in the London-centric sound of UK garage, but he was never of that scene. Based in Milton Keynes through the first phase of his... Read more... |
Red Bull Music Academy: a caffeine boost for the music industry?Tuesday, 06 December 2011
I almost feel duty bound to make a declaration of interest here. I have done several pieces of paid writing for the Red Bull Music Academy, including a piece of course material for this year's Academy, and a few days ago I went to Madrid to see the... Read more... |
CD: The Soul Rebels Brass Band - Unlock Your MindWednesday, 07 September 2011
Rooted in the New Orleans brass band tradition, but updating it for the 21st century with elements of funk, R&B, hip hop, reggae and half-sung, half-rapped lyrics, this disc will blow clean out of the water any preconceptions you might have of... Read more... |
Outlook: four days in the sunshine and two fingers to the bigotsTuesday, 16 August 2011
At the start of September, the fourth Outlook Festival takes place in a 19th-century fort on the Croatian coast. Already this festival has become a vital point in the calendar for those involved with dubstep, grime and other UK underground scenes –... Read more... |
CD: Mamani Keita – Gagner L’Argent FrancaisSunday, 17 July 2011
Gagner l’argent Francais (which translates as “to earn French money”) begins, like any other West-targeted West African album, with the pitter-patter of tiny congas and some delicately picked kora. But then, two minutes in, a bright stab of reverb-... Read more... |
CD: Blondie - Panic of GirlsSaturday, 02 July 2011
Blondie took 17 years off between 1982 and 1999, and bounced back with the chart-topping single "Maria". Now, refreshed after an eight-year power nap following 2003's The Curse of Blondie, they've returned with their ninth studio album.This would... Read more... |
Sónar 2011: Day 1Friday, 17 June 2011
“This is what Ibiza used to be like,” said the man dancing next to me. I've never been to the White Isle, so I have to take his word for it, but he presented a very convincing argument that the commercialisation of dance music's Mediterranean Mecca... Read more... |
Maverick Sabre, Jazz CaféFriday, 10 June 2011
Until a few weeks ago, I’d never heard of Maverick Sabre. Then I saw his weird potato-face looks and heard his utterly distinctive voice on Later... With Jools Holland, and was intrigued; thus I found myself last night at the Jazz Café in a sold-out... Read more... |
Showtime! - UK dancehall on the rise againFriday, 03 June 2011
This month sees an audacious attempt to showcase British dancehall music, when the Cargo venue in Shoreditch hosts the multi-artist revue Showtime!. The Heatwave collective have brought together vocalists from various UK underground scenes, linked... Read more... |
Lee "Scratch" Perry and Max Romeo, Brighton DomeSaturday, 21 May 2011
There are often times when I dislike the smoking ban. Tonight was one such. A few years ago, a gig such as this would have been awash with marijuana smoke and that was as it should be. At a guess I'd suggest the crowd, who range from 16 to 60, or... Read more... |
