songwriters
Begin AgainMonday, 07 July 2014
Movies about the music industry often end up being bombastic or twee or merely idiotic. This one, written and directed by John Carney (who made 2006's not entirely dissimilar Once), picks its way carefully around the pitfalls to tell a story of love... Read more... |
Putting It Together, St James TheatreThursday, 16 January 2014
“God,” wrote Stephen Sondheim, “is in the details.” Of course, he didn’t actually coin the phrase but throughout his published collections of lyrics he cites it as one of his three guiding principles. But to witness detail you need to be up close.... Read more... |
The Light Princess, National TheatreThursday, 10 October 2013
Once upon a time, there were two cultures, and they were at odds. A forested wilderness stretches between the kingdoms of Sealand and Lagobel, as we glean from the childishly-drawn, giant map that serves as a front cloth for the NT's new musical... Read more... |
CD: Julia Holter - Loud City SongSaturday, 24 August 2013
This is an incredibly hard album to work out. One major clue comes, though, with its second track, “Maxim's 1”, the backing for which is a dead ringer for a lost track from Cocteau Twins's 1990 Heaven or Las Vegas album. Not that any of the rest of... Read more... |
Reissue CDs Weekly: Michael Hurley, James Govan, Dan Penn, 14 Iced BearsSunday, 21 July 2013
Michael Hurley: Armchair Boogie / Hi Fi Snock UptownWith songs about werewolves, penguins, the English upper classes, trains, the police and more werewolves, these albums from surrealist folk maverick Michael Hurley are charming and occasionally... Read more... |
Reissue CDs Weekly: Burt BacharachSunday, 09 June 2013
Burt Bacharach: The Art of the Songwriter - Anyone Who Had a HeartSometimes, greatness takes a while to surface. Tommy Sands’s 1961 single “Love In A Goldfish Bowl” didn’t return the hopeful teen idol to the charts. He’d had his day in 1957... Read more... |
10 Questions for Musician Cerys MatthewsTuesday, 04 June 2013
“He who sings frightens away his ills.” Cerys Matthews has spent a lifetime heeding the wise counsel of Don Quixote. Born at the tailend of the Sixties, she grew up in the Welsh tradition of musical surroundsound before veering right into the heart... Read more... |
Karl Hyde, Union Chapel IslingtonFriday, 26 April 2013
I have to admit I was That Hipster with Underworld: loved them circa 1991, stopped being intensely interested around the first album, diverged almost completely after “Born Slippy” went supernova circa 1995. It was wonderful the way that Karl Hyde... Read more... |
Video Exclusive: BJ Smith covers Mos Def's Umi SaysMonday, 07 January 2013
We're extremely proud to be able to present this charming exclusive video by the London multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter (and animator) BJ Smith - a ray of sunshine in the winter greyness. It comes from the forthcoming Dedication to the... Read more... |
CD: Sera Cahoone - Deer Creek CanyonWednesday, 03 October 2012
There are, roughly speaking, two types of record. There are the ones that it is hard to consider as anything other than a complete unit - gimmicky concept records or complex themes, tracks that ebb and flow and blend together as if making a mockery... Read more... |
Walk On By: Hal David, 1921–2012Sunday, 02 September 2012
The death of lyricist Hal David at 91 is a sad reminder that the golden age of a uniquely American approach to songwriting is getting further and further away. The Bacharach and David brand will last, as will classic songs like “Anyone Who Had a... Read more... |
Interview: 10 Questions for Nik KershawMonday, 06 August 2012
Nik Kershaw (b 1958) is best known for a run of hits in the mid-Eighties, songs such as “Wouldn’t It Be Good”, “I Won’t Let The Sun Go Down on Me”, “The Riddle” and “Wide Boy”. He achieved international success and played Live Aid in 1985. Raised in... Read more... |
