The journey last week to find the graves of Jaki Liebezeit, Holger Czukay and his wife U-She might have piqued your interest in the German post-war experimental music scene of the seventies. By watching this very well put together documentary first aired on BBC 4 in 2009 you will have a much better understanding of […]
On a scorching hot German day we left Olivia’s secret village for a trip to Frankfurt with her Mum. Siv flying to Sweden to see relatives, Olivia and I having a day exploring Frankfurt or in truth checking out some record stores. Leaving at 7 AM was tricky for night owls and once Siv had […]
With all the attention that both Sigur Rós and Björk receive, it must be terribly frustrating for other Icelandic artists that are trying to be noticed internationally. On one hand it brings attention to the country’s pool of talent on the other they find themselves constantly in the shadows of their country men and women’s […]
A performance of Rodrigo Y Gabriela in Belgium where this engaging Mexican guitar duo have gained a loyal following. Enjoy Rodrigo’s fast fingers but for me it’s Gabriela’s incredible percussive rhythms that deliver the magic. http://www.rodgab.com https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Y_Gabriela
This was the first single from The xx’s understated and hugely successful first album. Later covered both by Gorillaz and Martina Topley-Bird and Mark Lanegan with Warpaint, the song has that indefinable quality that makes it accessible and cool. The shadowy understated video adds to the intrigue. http://www.thexx.info https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_xx https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xx_(album)
The xx with their muted, sparse, indie dance, soul pop, is a success story that shows that hanging back in the shadows, rather than parading in the spotlight, may actually be the best way to become successful. In 2010 the album won the Mercury Music prize and was featured in many Best of lists for […]