fri 12/09/2025

New Music Reviews

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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Orchestra Baobab & Blick Bassy, RFH

Tim Cumming

Africa Utopia at the Southbank Centre is back for its third year with a raft of concerts and events, and for Friday night Senegal's Orchestra Baobab returned to the UK for the first time in three years, one of the great names of the post-independence African renaissance. They were joined by a young French-Cameroonian artist, Blick Bassy (pictured below), who was coming to London for the first time with his debut album Ako.

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Reissue CDs Weekly: The London American Label – 1966

Kieron Tyler

 

the london american label year by year 1966Various Artists: The London American Label Year by Year – 1966

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Heartless Bastards, Borderline

Russ Coffey

Some consider Heartless Bastards to be the best band you’ve probably never heard of – albeit blighted by an awful name. Others say the Texas-based four-piece are merely a jumped-up garage band. Wherever you stand, though, one thing is beyond dispute – the awesome power of Erika Wennerstrom’s voice. For much of last night she sounded like the love child of Robert Plant and Janis Joplin.

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Reissue CDs Weekly: The Isley Brothers

Kieron Tyler


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theartsdesk at Green Man 2015

Barney Harsent

Sunday. Brecon Beacons. Very early in the morning. I am woken, as I have been every 20 minutes or so since falling asleep, by water dripping on my head. So far, I’ve been able to ignore it, the pain of sitting upright outweighing the inconvenience of a wet head by a factor I can’t begin to fathom. Now, however, the hangover has lifted slightly and the need to piss is so painful I can no longer ignore it.

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Reissue CDs Weekly: Julian Cope

Kieron Tyler


Julian Cope: World Shut Your MouthJulian Cope: World Shut Your Mouth, Fried

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Just in From Scandinavia: Nordic Music Round-Up 14

Kieron Tyler

Don’t be fooled by the header picture. Despite the relaxed poses, Iceland’s Pink Street Boys are amongst the angriest, loudest, most unhinged bands on the planet right now. Hits #1, their debut vinyl album – which follows distorted-sounding, lower-than-lo-fi cassette and digital-only releases – is so impolite and wild that once the rest of the world gets the message the story of what constitutes the current-day music of their home country will have to be rewritten.

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Reissue CDs Weekly: Stax Soul Sensations

Kieron Tyler

 

Ian Levine’s Stax Soul Sensations Various Artists: Ian Levine’s Stax Soul Sensations

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