Alexandra
I cannot stop listening to the debut album by Kishi Bashi, 151a. It’s such a wonderfully, thick sound that you find something new to love each time. Be sure to check out our brand-spanking new podcast to hear another track form the album.
Alexandra
I cannot stop listening to the debut album by Kishi Bashi, 151a. It’s such a wonderfully, thick sound that you find something new to love each time. Be sure to check out our brand-spanking new podcast to hear another track form the album.
With their official debut album Family hitting the UK on July 23rd, the Irish quartet The Cast of Cheers have also announced the release of their new single ‘Human Elevator’, which is due on August 20th.
When the band put their previous album Chariot on Bandcamp for free, (the boys recorded themselves in 3 days), it received over 150,000 downloads and netted them a nomination at the Choice Music Awards. The Cast Of Cheers then went on to support Blood Red Shoes.
The band have another list of live dates coming up in support of their new album, which will be released via School Boy Error/Cooperative Music.
Listen to ‘Human Elevator’ below:
End of the Road festival have announced that Patti Smith will be joining the line-up for 2012. The legendary American singer is currently on tour promoting her new album Banga.
“We have been huge fans of Patti Smith’s work for many years and to have her finally play our festival is frankly surreal and a real honour,” said the festival’s directors. “There are few musicians whose names alone can evoke such a vast array of images, sounds and stories as Patti Smith’s”.
Others completing the line-up include Grizzly Bear, Beach House, Dirty Three, The Low Anthem and Graham Coxon. Comedy includes Joe Lycett,Doc Brown, Liam Mullone and Robin Ince.
German-born I Am Harlequin (aka Anne Freier) has released her new EP Craze today. She will perform an EP launch on Friday July 6th at London’s Old Queens Head, with support from Southern and a DJ set from Killahurtz.
Rokia Traoré – The Barbican, London, June 22 2012
By Louise Ungless
Rokia Traoré, one of West Africa’s most experimental female artists, came to London to present three very different concerts. The trilogy of shows – part of the London Festival 2012 – showed very distinct sides to the singer’s music. On June 22, Traoré presented her second concert Donguili (Sing), where she performed with young musicians who trained at her music foundation in Bamako, Mali.
Eagerly waiting, the large audience within the Barbican Hall ruptured into an applause as Traoré and her backing singers walked elegantly onto the stage. With a kora, Mamadyba Camara introduced the first song ‘Kaniba’ beautifully, shortly accompanied by Mamah Diabate’s ngoni and Traoré’s soulful, deep voice. Singing in Bambara (Mali’s lingua franca), her voice gradually took over the instrumentation, with occasional harmonies from her backing singers and intricate embellishes seeping from the kora. It was a beautiful start to what was a passionate set, highlighting the traditional instrumentation and repertoires found within Traoré’s music.
The cosy, independent cinema Hyde Park Picture House in Leeds is celebrating Woody Guthrie‘s centenary on July 14. To celebrate the life and music of the American folk musician, the art-house cinema will be holding a special event, featuring live performances from local folk musicians David Broad and Michael Rossiter, known in Leeds for their folk, blues and country guitar playing and songwriting. Western swing, hillbilly country and blues musician Jonny Hick will be joining them on double bass.
The event will also include readings by Kuselo Kamau, a Leeds-based actor and blues musician who works with the arts organisation Interplay theatre. The cinema will also be showing two short archive films, including a rare screening of the short documentary The Plow That Broke The Plains (1936).
Longtime Companion, the new album by Sonny & the Sunsets, is released today, June 26 2012, via Polyvinyl.
Sonny Smith, the band’s principal songwriter, is ready to share his country side. With a strong country influence throughout the album, every song was written during the break up with his girlfriend of ten years. You can currently stream the album via Under the Radar here.
KonKoma have released their self-titled debut album on Soundway Records today. Rooted in 1970s Ghana, the group was produced and formulated by saxophonist Max Grunhard and producer Ben Lamdin (Nostalgia 77). The idea was to create a band around two highly esteemed Ghanaian musicians – Alfred Bannerman and Emmanuel Rentzos.
The album is a blend of Afro-funk, jazz, soul and traditional African rhythms. KonKoma will also be supporting Ondatrópica at the Hackney Empire on July 20th.
Senegalese musician Carlou D and guests will present a one-off concert to raise funds for FORWARD‘s work and awareness of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and child marriage. The show will take place on July 21st, 2012 at Roundhouse, London. For more information on the event, click here.
Carlou D, a FORWARD ambassador, will also appear at WOMAD festival. The musician is an outspoken singer, songwriter and guitarist who emerged from Senegal’s exciting 90′s hip-hop scene.
Louise
I took a listen to Grasscut‘s new album Unearth when it came in for review. Each track on album is inspired by a location in Britain. It will be released on Ninja Tune on July 16th. One of favourite tracks on the album is ‘From Towns and Fields’.