Tag Archives: music

Two great English bands in concert – British Sea Power and Blur

Posted on June 21, 2015 by John S

The last two Saturdays have been concert days. On 13 June it was British Sea Power at the Roundhouse and yesterday, 20 June, Blur headlined in Hyde Park. Both bands have a distinctly British – or English – feel. They … Continue reading →

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Have You heard? – (65) “Madder Rose” by Madder Rose

Posted on June 14, 2015 by John S

I’ve been driving up and down the M1 today with my son, Kieran, to pick up his stuff from the house in Nottingham where he lives during the university term. It’s summer hols now – three months! Ah, to be … Continue reading →

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Three great but different concerts: The Beat, Nils Frahm, The Replacements

Posted on June 4, 2015 by John S

Over the past few weeks I’ve seen three concerts: all quite different, but very enjoyable in different ways. First was a real step back in time: The Beat, who played at Chelsea’s Under The Bridge club. I saw the original … Continue reading →

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My Top Ten – Beatles tracks

Posted on May 31, 2015 by John S

I’m editing my book on music at the moment; and yesterday, I went through a piece on The Beatles. At the end of the piece I reflect on the Paul v John debate – who was your favourite? Received wisdom … Continue reading →

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Have You Heard? – (64) Three Kinds of Beautiful: new albums by The Unthanks, Laura Marling and The Staves

Posted on May 14, 2015 by John S

Three of the albums I’ve been listening to a lot recently are all beautiful sounds that have their roots in folk music. But the artists have evolved, taking different directions, but still capturing the soulful essence of our traditional music. … Continue reading →

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Sharon van Etten at the O2 Empire, Shepherd’s Bush

Posted on April 30, 2015 by John S

This was a concert that I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. I first became aware of Sharon van Etten when she released her album, “Tramp” in 2012. At the time I played it a few times, but … Continue reading →

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Robin Trower at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, 11 April 2015

Posted on April 12, 2015 by John S

After the brilliant Courtney Barnett on Thursday, a journey back in time… One of the first concerts I ever went to, in 1975, was a Robin Trower gig at Hammersmith Odeon. We came down to London, from Oakham, in the … Continue reading →

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Courtney Barnett at the Electric Ballroom, Camden, 9 April 2015

Posted on April 10, 2015 by John S

Courtney Barnett is an Australian rock’n’roller who has just released her first full album, “Sometimes I Sit And Think, Sometimes I Just Sit”, although she merged two EPs a while back for an album called “The Double EP: A Sea … Continue reading →

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A Song For Easter

Posted on April 5, 2015 by John S

Easter Sunday. In the Christian calendar, the day of hope, rebirth, resurrection. Even if you don’t subscribe to the story, this time of year, in our northern location, is a time of renewal. The four day break, the school holidays, give … Continue reading →

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The Staves at Wilton’s Music Hall, 24 March 2015

Posted on March 26, 2015 by John S

Another Staves concert, but one with a difference. This one was all about the new album, “If I Was”, which was released on 23 March in the UK. The album is produced by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and has … Continue reading →

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