What My Mother Taught Me.

Laura White talks about her EP What My Mother Taught Me, and her decision to release it independently after her time on X Factor in 2008.

“Amy Winehouse was quite a vulnerable person and used her music to be honest about it. If people can hear her in my music that is fine with me because she was an amazing artist.”

[rating=4]
Released September 29, 2013
Lady Gaga’s mission to bring art into popular culture continues on ARTPOP.

“ARTPOP epitomizes the intent of Lady Gaga’s career and how she frames herself as an artist in the world. Her approach makes one wonder whether she has made a deal with devil in choosing to be a mainstream artist.”

[rating=5]
Released October 7, 2013
Anna Calvi’s One Breath is radiant and self-possessed. This collection of songs show Calvi as an exceptional artist in her own right.

“If you want to be genuinely thrilled and startled by music that twists and turns in unpredictable shades and volumes then Anna Calvi has made an album to treasure and completely immerse yourself into.”

[rating=5]
Released November 4, 2013
Enter Shikari’s Rat Race is a powerful condemnation of a pop culture obsessed with consumerism above all else.

“‘Enter Shikari seem to be the only prominent band talking about consumer culture and our intensely corrupt economic and political system with as much passion as most people talk about money and bitches.”

[rating=5]
Released November 5, 2013
Little Bastard finds Eminem to be a beat poet at the top of his game and defends him against his detractors.

“Slim Shady, his violent alter ego, is not only the mouth piece for Eminem’s own frustration and anger, but also a mirror to society. Slim Shady is completely Eminem, whilst being the worst in all of us at the same time.”

November 13, 2013

A Grimm Fairy Tale of a cartoonist and his long-suffering, tea-making partner. Polari Safari cartoon by David Shenton.

The Summer of Love.

Andrew Darley talks to Cut Copy frontman Dan Whitford about the band’s new album, Free Your Mind, and his thoughts on dance culture.

“Once we’d finished writing all the songs for the record we noticed that “free your mind” was a repeated lyric through various songs, and it seemed to sum up a general feeling behind the record.”

Cultural mash-ups.

Andrew Darley talks to Sasha Perera about her new project Perera Elsewhere and her debut solo album Everlast.

“I think the music does take you somewhere else because it’s quite atmospheric and sucks you in quite fast. I like to think that I’ve been taken somewhere else and so I’m taking the listener there too. It’s an idealistic concept that there is something or somewhere called ‘Elsewhere’ which has nothing to do with harsh reality.”

[rating=4]
Released September 29, 2013
Lava Diviner (Truestory) is an album of carefully crafted soundscapes woven together into a satisfying narrative.

“Twelve songs weave and contrast various textures and temperaments across the album, that is both playful and engaging.”

[rating=4]
Released November 11, 2013
Loved Me Back To Life proves Celine Dion is probably more relevant now than she was 20 years ago.

“‘Dion sings her face off as expected, and drowns you in a sea of emotion at the same time, something that I’ve often thought was lacking from her strong but often toneless vocal delivery.”