News

A short documentary following Adrian Crowley, Alasdair Roberts and James Yorkston on a tour of small venues around Ireland. HOMELIGHTS was a weekend of music & visuals held on the last weekend of november, co-curated by Irish recording artist Adrian Crowley and independent music promoters Foggy Notions.

Excuse the rambling introduction, but it was Gil Scott-Heron that got me thinking about all this and why I play what I play, so I’ll kick off with a bit of philosophising before hitting the ground running.

Pictoplasma is a Festival of contemporary character design and art with screenings, lectures and presentations which takes place on 9. + 10. April 2010 in Berlin.

This Oliver Peel session with Arborea, who are Buck Curran and his wife Shanti was recorded recently in Paris. We have been playing Arborea on Folk Radio Uk for what feels like many years. I am still as moved by their beautiful music today as I was when I first heard them.

The almanac singers – Which side are you? contains virtually everything The Almanac Singers released of note between 1941-42. This release is a refreshing reminder of what the folk music scene was like in 1940’s America. Although this album may sound tame by modern standards, they were considered dangerously radical back then.

The Black Keys release their sixth full-length album, entitled Brothers on v2 / cooperative music (UK) on 18th May. Recorded at alabama’s legendary Muscle Shoals Sound with additional sessions at Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound System in Akron and The Bunker in Brooklyn,

Some good news for Bill Callahan fans. He has a new live album out on Drag City on 23rd March called Rough Travel For A Rare Thing. It’s a career spanning selection of live performances which is no easy feat.

The new video to Lykke Li’s Possibility has just been released on her Birthday. Possibility features on the Twilight: New Moon soundtrack. The Twilight books and movie seem to have taken the world by storm…or at least it has in my household.

Stornoway have newly signed to 4AD and their pastoral pop-folk and crystalline four-part harmonies have been getting a lot of attention with references to them being the Mumford and Son of 2010.

Charlie Gillett, the flagship DJ of world music has died. Despite an ongong series of health problems, including Churg-Strauss syndrome, he continued broadcasting the late night Charlie Gillet’s World of Music on BBC Radio 3. He will be sadly missed by many and will be up there with greats such as John Peel. ‘When I play a new album, I want to be surprised, to be completely captivated by the …

Recorded over three afternoons at Livingston Studios, London, in 2005, with contributions from Orlando ‘Cachaíto’ López on bass, ‘Ali & Toumani’ is Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté’s second and final album together. 

Silent June is a Stunning debut album from ex-Unthanks pianist, Belinda O’Hooley and Yorkshire songwriter Heidi Tidow. Haunting piano, soaring strings and warm harmonies combine beautifully. O’Hooley is best known for her work as songwriter and pianist with Rachel Unthank & the Winterset (now The Unthanks).