music

Spotlight!: Rag’n’Bone Man

/ James Fenney

rag-n-bone-man

Though at first glance he might not look like it, Brighton based bluesman Rory Graham, better known as Rag’N’Bone Man, is a force to be reckoned with. He has one of the most powerful and distinctive voices around, and can equally excel with deep gritty delta blues and tender soulful ballads. With such unparalleled vocals at his disposal, he’s well equipped to dabble with any genre that takes his fancy. He has a fling with hard rock on ‘Hard Came The Rain’ and plays around with his earlier hip hop influences on tracks such as ‘Wolves’. Personally I think his talent captured best in the massive singles ‘Bitter End’ and ‘Lay My Body Down’; he truly has the kind of voice that only comes around once in a generation.

With such a varied repertoire he’s sure to tick boxes for many people, and following his appearance at Glastonbury last year he’s set to emerge from the underground and take the world by storm.

Must Own Albums: Post-Punk

/ James Fenney

the queen is deadThe Smiths – The Queen is Dead

Few bands in history can claim to be as influential as The Smiths. Johnny Marr’s jangly guitar tones and Morrissey’s dark but beautiful lyrics have influenced nearly every British rock band since, and provided a template for Indie and Britpop. The Queen is Dead is considered the peak of the band’s short life and features one of their most well known songs “There is a Light That Never Goes Out”.

Unknown-Pleasures_BlogJoy Division – Unknown Pleasures

As well as having one of the most iconic album covers in history, Unknown Pleasures was way ahead of it’s time. It remains one of the most critically acclaimed albums ever released despite releasing no singles and failing to chart. The tragic suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis shortly before the release of their second album made this his lasting legacy, and the remaining members continued on as New Order.

talk talkTalk Talk – Spirit of Eden

Feeling that their earlier new wave albums didn’t reflect the music they wanted to create, Talk Talk decided to experiment. After an intense and often improvised recording process they released an album with hints of jazz and classical music. Spirit of Eden was about as far from a commercial success as you can get, but it paved the way for other bands such as Radiohead to break the mould.

the fallThe Fall – Hex Induction Hour

Essentially the solo project of Mark E Smith, The Fall are one of the most influential cult bands in history. They have had a lasting impact on everyone from Sonic Youth to the Arctic Monkeys. John Peel, the most famous radio DJ in history and champion of new music, has often cited them as his favourite band. Hex Induction Hour was the first time in the bands long history that they made it into the albums charts.

No More Heroes?

/ James Fenney

hendrix_-sets-the-guitar-on-fire-monterey-pop-festivaljpg

I’m sure we’ll all agree that 2016 hasn’t got off to a good start. In the space of a few weeks we’ve already lost Lemmy, David Bowie, and now Eagles guitarist Glenn Frey. As the world of music is in mourning a hard truth suddenly becomes apparent: How long do our other musical icons have left. It’s not a nice thought but many of the greatest artists and musical pioneers are getting on a bit. One day we will enter a world without Bob Dylan, without Elton John, without Aretha Franklin, without Bruce Springsteen, without Paul McCartney, without Stevie Wonder. Who will carry the torch once the greats are gone? Continue reading →

Brit Awards 2016 nominations announced

/ James Fenney

brit awards 2016

The nominations for this year’s Brit Awards have been announced. Adele tops the list along with James Bay and Years & Years with four nominations apiece. As is often the case with the Brits the winners are often easy to guess but most of the important categories seem to be in good hands. Some Belwood favourites have been recognised with nominations including Father John Misty, Wolf Alice and Jack Garratt who has already claimed the Critic’s Choice Award. The Eagles of Death Metal have also been nominated for International Group following the attacks in Paris at one of their concerts. The full list of nominations can be found below: Continue reading →

Spotlight!: Rationale

/ James Fenney

rationale

In the modern world of social media, anonymity has become a surprisingly powerful tool. London based musician and producer Rationale has used his air of mystery to full effect to make sure it was his music that gave people their first impression of him. He has since emerged from the shadows and appeared in the powerful music video for the title track of his stunning debut EP ‘Fuel to the Fire’. The intermingling electronica, R&B and psychedelics are kept grounded by the profoundly meaningful lyrics and Rationale’s arresting vocals. The self produced release is simply immaculate, even down to the gorgeous artwork. Rationale has started things the right way to spark people’s interest, and with the release of his latest single ‘Something for Nothing’ he’s ready to set the world alight.

Fans of Jack Garratt, The Weeknd and Alabama Shakes may have just found a new favourite artist

David Bowie passes away

/ James Fenney

One of music’s greatest ever icons David Bowie has sadly passed away aged 69 after a battle with cancer. This follows only a few days after release of his latest critically acclaimed album Blackstar. Bowie was a visionary artist that redefined music. His charismatic stage personas and his fearlessly innovative music made him quite frankly one of the coolest people ever to walk the Earth. He leaves behind an unparalleled legacy including his song being used in the first ever music video in space. I think actor Simon Pegg sums it up best in his tweet: “If you’re sad today, just remember the world is over 4 billion years old and you somehow managed to exist at the same time as David Bowie”. It is the end of an era and the world will be a very different place without him.