Essential – Soulwax

Belgian rock/electronic band Soulwax is the long-running project of brothers Stephen and David Dewaele. Along with bassist Stefaan Van Leuven and drummer Piet Dierickx, the group formed in the city of Ghent and released their debut album, Leave the Story Untold, in 1996. Much Against Everyone’s Advice followed in 1998, after which the Dewaele brothers […]

Lost & Found – Jorja Smith

Jorja Smith is an English R&B singer/songwriter whose soulful, jazz-tinged cadence, heartfelt lyrics, and retro sound invoke names like Alunageorge, Nao, Lulu James, and Amy Winehouse, the latter of whom the Walsall-based artist cites as her biggest influence. Smith issued her debut single, “Blue Lights,” in 2015, but it was 2016’s powerful “Where Did I […]

Bruch: Scottish Fantasy, Op. 46 – Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 26 – Joshua Bell & Academy of St. Martin in the Fields

Internationally known violinist Joshua Bell has performed with all the major orchestras and is proficient in the works of Beethoven, Lalo, Tchaikovsky, and Wieniawski. He is known for both his contemporary and classical repertoire. Joshua Bell was born in Indiana in 1967 and acquired an interest in playing the violin at an early age. By […]

K.T.S.E. – Teyana Taylor

Harlem-based singer, rapper, songwriter, dancer, actor, and model Teyana Taylor gained recognition in the States on an early-2007 episode of MTV’s My Super Sweet 16. By the time it aired, she had already signed to Star Trak/Interscope, helped popularize the Chicken Noodle Soup dance, and aided in the choreography for Beyoncé’s “Ring the Alarm” video. […]

NASIR – Nas

Beginning with his classic debut, Illmatic (1994), Nas stood tall for years as one of New York City’s leading rap voices, outspokenly expressing a righteous, self-empowered swagger that endeared him to critics and hip-hop purists. Whether proclaiming himself “Nasty Nas” or “Nas Escobar” or “Nastradamus” or “God’s Son,” the self-appointed King of New York battled […]

The One Two – Headie One

Headie One is a U.K. rap artist from Tottenham, London. Known for his unwavering vocal flow with stylings of trap and drill, he made his first appearance on the scene in 2010 on tracks such as “Wood Green Diss” and “Youngers from Farm” with fellow drill artists from around North London including Young Josh and […]

Expectations – Bebe Rexha

Rising as a songwriter for Eminem, Rihanna, and Selena Gomez, Brooklyn-born pop singer Bebe Rexha made her way from the studio to the stage, racking up hit singles with electronic artists Cash Cash, David Guetta, and Martin Garrix; rappers G-Eazy, Lil Wayne, and Nicki Minaj, and country duo Florida Georgia Line, with whom she recorded […]

EVERYTHING IS LOVE – The Carters

Some couples repair rifts in their relationships with expensive therapy. Beyoncé and JAY-Z tour stadiums together and surprise-release collaborative albums that mine their self-mythologised personal drama for big-ticket entertainment. Sonically closer to Beyoncé’s 2016 high-art airing of dirty laundry Lemonade than Jay’s 2017 response 4:44, this isn’t just rubbernecking at the doings inside America’s royal […]

Lost Angeles – Lily Kershaw

A folk-pop singer, songwriter, and guitarist with a knack for writing melodic and narrative songs that aren’t afraid to move into deeper territory than the typical pop song usually does, Lily Kershaw was born and grew up in the Los Angeles, California region. Her public breakthrough came when one of her songs, “As It Seems,” […]

The Future and the Past – Natalie Prass

Raised in Richmond, Virginia, singer/songwriter Natalie Prass began her career in her adopted home of Nashville, where she spent a number of years co-writing and backing up other artists before heading out on her own in 2009. With her delicate songbird voice and sophisticated sense of songcraft, she offers a striking sound that features elements […]

Love Is Dead – CHVRCHES

Bridging the worlds of indie and mainstream pop with big synths and bigger hooks, Glasgow’s electro-pop trio Chvrches features singer Lauren Mayberry and keyboardists/vocalists Iain Cook and Martin Doherty. In September 2011, Mayberry, who previously played with the band Blue Sky Archives and holds a law degree as well as a master’s degree in journalism, […]

Shawn Mendes – Shawn Mendes

It only took Shawn Mendes three years to realize his pop dreams. After catching a wave of fame on Vine, he steered it into solo stardom with two chart-topping albums, a world tour, and a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden. Then, the Toronto-area native got right to work on his third album, an adventurous […]

As Long As I Have You – Roger Daltrey

Who lead singer Roger Daltrey forged a parallel solo career beginning in 1973, when the group had begun to fall apart in the aftermath of Quadrophenia. Born March 1, 1944 in London, Daltrey grew up in the same Shepherd’s Bush neighborhood as future Who bandmates Pete Townshend and John Entwistle, performing with them as the […]

Big Wave More Fire – DJDS

Los Angeles-based house duo DJDS (aka DJ Dodger Stadium) first burst onto the scene with the release of their acid-drenched, ghetto house debut Stadium Status in 2011. Formed by Jerome Potter (aka Jerome LOL) and Sam Griesemer (aka Samo Sound Boy), the pair released the EP on their own label, Body High. With a handful […]

RECKLESS – NAV

Punjabi-Canadian hip-hop recording artist NAV (aka Navraj Goraya) had his first taste of fame when reality TV star Kylie Jenner posted a Snapchat video of herself singing along to his song “Myself.” The mysterious star had been steadily building a large following through a string of releases via his SoundCloud account, beginning in 2015 with […]

Run to Waters – Justin Nozuka

The maturity of Justin Nozuka’s music, a soulful blend of R&B and pensive singer/songwriter folk that recalls both Nick Drake and Lauryn Hill, belied his years from the start: Nozuka was only 18 when his debut album was released. The son of a Japanese father and American mother (actress Holly Sedgwick, who happens to be […]

Blue Flame – Jon Allen

We have just seen Jon Allen tonight at the Railway Inn Winchester for a very special intimate charity gig. He is Utterly brilliant live pitch and note perfect. We are privileged to have been able to buy the new album before it’s official release and every track is a joy to listen to. 10/10 👌🏻

Rebellion Rises – Ziggy Marley

The oldest son of reggae legend Bob Marley and his wife Rita, Ziggy Marley was the natural heir to the throne left vacant by his father’s untimely death in 1981. Along with backing band the Melody Makers, a unit comprising his brothers and sisters, he successfully carried on the tradition of communicating the music’s message […]

Part of the Light – Ray LaMontagne

With a voice that recalls a huskier, sandpapery version of Van Morrison and Tim Buckley, Ray LaMontagne joins such artists as Iron & Wine in creating folk songs that are alternately lush and intimately earthy. The songwriter was born in Nashua, New Hampshire in 1973; his parents split up shortly after his birth, and his […]

Wide Awake! – Parquet Courts

Parquet Courts’ blend of noisy, punk-friendly clatter and snarky, sometimes serious lyrics delivered in a menacing monotone struck a chord within indie rock circles with their 2012 album, Light Up Gold, and after loads of touring and a series of literate and scrappy albums made for What’s Your Rupture? and Rough Trade, they firmly established […]

Good Thing – Leon Bridges

Leon Bridges’ first strides as an R&B artist prompted comparisons to legends like Sam Cooke and Otis Redding, but the native Texan quickly came into his own with the remarkably refined Top Ten albums Coming Home (2015) and Good Thing (2018), the former of which led to a pair of Grammy nominations. Bridges expanded his […]

Inspiration – Sheku Kanneh-Mason

British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason won the prestigious BBC Young Musician of the Year competition in 2016 when he was just 17 years old, performing Shostakovich’s fiendish Cello Concerto No. 1. The first black musician to win the competition in its 38-year history, Kanneh-Mason was born and raised in a suburb of Nottingham, England. The third […]

Love Yourself 轉 ‘Tear’ – BTS

South Korean boy band BTS (Bangtan Boys or “bulletproof boy scouts” in Korean) blend dance-oriented K-pop with hip-hop influences. The septet’s lineup includes Rap Monster (Kim Namjoon), team leader and rapper; Jin (Kim Seokjin), singer; Suga (Min Yoongi), rapper; J-Hope (Jung Hoseok), rapper and choreographer; Jimin Park, singer and choreographer; V (Kim Taehyung), singer; and […]

Tell Me How You Really Feel – Courtney Barnett

Melbourne-based singer/songwriter Courtney Barnett first came to light in 2012 when her self-released EP, I’ve Got a Friend Called Emily Ferris, appeared and was roundly praised across Australia. Her conversational, deadpan delivery and garage rock-infused folk-pop style caught the attention of influential website Pitchfork, which named her song “Avant Gardener” one of its Best New […]

Electric Light – James Bay

A singer/songwriter with a penchant for crafting moving and evocative folk-pop, James Bay hails from the North Hertfordshire market town of Hitchin. Bay honed his skills regionally, eventually landing high-exposure support slots with Tom Odell, John Newman, and Kodaline before inking a record deal with Republic/Universal in 2012. Bay soon began recording material, and charted […]

Elizaveta Antonova & Yuri Vekshin define a new classical music genre with the beautiful ‘Non lasciate chi amate’

Yuri Vekshin is a composer and member of the International Union of Composers of XXI AGE. Yuri composes music in the genre “Classical crossover”. He creates music and music settings with a very special and attractive sound, skilfully balanced harmonies softly reveal the narration. Yuri considers the music as one of the most universal expressions […]