sun 06/07/2025

New Music Reviews

Reissue CDs Weekly: Bert Jansch

Kieron Tyler


Bert Jansch: It Don't Bother meBert Jansch: It Don't Bother Me, Jack Orion / Bert Jansch & John Renbourn: Bert and John

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Loose Tubes, Ronnie Scott's

Thomas Rees

Loose Tubes go hand in hand with Ronnie Scott’s. This was the setting for their fabled residencies back in the Eighties, the scene of their farewell gig in 1990 and of their comeback last year (both of which feature on new live album Arriving).

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Unknown Mortal Orchestra, O2 Shepherd's Bush

Matthew Wright

Stylistically, they’re a psychedelic kaleidoscope of a band, but that didn’t stop Unknown Mortal Orchestra getting the O2 Shepherd’s Bush swaying hypnotically last night. Their jagged, breaking grooves, burnished analogue synth and drone-like choruses take in everything from Stevie Wonder to Captain Beefheart, via a slew of indie, garage and psychedelia, but the effect is unique and compelling.

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Florence + the Machine, Alexandra Palace

Jasper Rees

There’s a new book out called Red: A Natural History of the Redhead, which gets to the heart of what it is to have the ginger gene, be it Boudicca or Jessica Rabbit. It says coppertops are more prone to bee stings, and perfume gives off a different odour on their skin. And then there are the more hackneyed ascriptions: flaming hair implies fieriness, wildness, total and utter otherness etc.

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Reissue CDs Weekly: Faces

Kieron Tyler

 

Faces: You Can Make me Dance, Sing or Anything… 1970–1975Faces: You Can Make Me Dance, Sing or Anything… 1970–1975

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theartsdesk on Vinyl: Volume 9 - Queen, On-U Sound and more

Thomas H Green

The New York Times recently wrote that, “For the music business over all, vinyl is still a niche product, if an increasingly substantial one.” How substantial is slowly becoming clear with dramatic rises in vinyl consumption over the last year. The biggest pressing plant in Europe, in the Czech village of Lodenice, last year produced 14.5 million records, while across the US during the same period 13 million were sold, with around 50% of the buyers under 35.

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Courtney Pine, Ronnie Scott's

Matthew Wright

Courtney Pine’s Caribbean-flavoured album House of Legends was released three years ago, and it says a lot that he’s still touring it. This riotously melodic collection of ska, soca and calypso, embellished with some scorching solo work, has certainly proved popular, as the latest sell-out run at Ronnie’s testifies. Pine cheerfully apologised for a lack of CD’s to sell at the gig: they’ve all been sold.

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Jambinai, Rich Mix

Matthew Wright

For three unassuming musicians, sitting cross-legged in a row, Korean folk-noise fusion band Jambinai’s London debut last night was seismic. With an ambitious project to integrate the techniques and idioms of traditional Korean folk with a blend of noise-rock, drone-rock and electronic music, they gave a concert that was, from the moment the grinding drone of the geomungo started yawing through the crowd, utterly distinct and original.

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Reissue CDs Weekly: Pere Ubu

Kieron Tyler

 

Pere Ubu: Elitism for the People 1975–1978Pere Ubu: Elitism for the People 1975–1978

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Kasse Mady Diabate, Queen Elizabeth Hall

Tim Cumming

Not many concerts at the Queen Elizabeth Hall culminate in a string of beautiful African women sashaying down the aisles to the stage to press fivers and tenners upon the still-crooning singer. After taking their hands in turn, as if in benediction, Kassy Made Diabate turned and dropped the fistful of notes at the feet of his ngoni player.

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