Steve Cooney is an Australian guitar player, arranger, composer and poet who has been a towering influence on the contemporary Irish music scene ever since moving to Ireland from his native Melbourne in 1981. A rock and blues musician originally, Steve Cooney first joined seminal band Stockton's Wing as a bass and didgeridoo ... [Continue Reading]
Alela Diane: White as diamonds
Alela Diane is a young singer songwriter from Nevada City, California now living in Portland, Oregon. She is usually associated with Mariee Sioux, another Nevada City native, or with English singer Vashti Bunyan. While she has now changed over a more Folk-Rock sound with her third album, Alela Diane used to put forward the ... [Continue Reading]
Nomad Soul Collective: Murmuration
"Murmuration" is an uplifting and unusual track with a 7/8 time signature by Nomad Soul Collective, a young London-based British band. Influenced by The Cinematic Orchestra, the collective came to prominence in late 2011 when the tune was used as the soundtrack to a short video which went viral on Vimeo. The ... [Continue Reading]
Daniel Martin Moore: In the cool of the day
Daniel Martin Moore is a Kentucky-born singer songwriter who grew up immersed in the Southern Baptists' musical traditions of spirituals, hymns, gospel and choir music. In 2011, the musician set out to record In the cool of the day, a collection introducing a personal and fresh take on several of these old spiritual songs ... [Continue Reading]
Ibrahim Maalouf: Questions and answers
"Questions and Answers" is another song from Ibrahim Maalouf taken from Wind (2012), his latest release. Once again, the quarter tone trumpet allows the musician to create a lovely hybrid music that spans across several genres: I have with me an instrument that reflects exactly what I would like to say [...] I believe my ... [Continue Reading]
Andrey Dergatchev: The return
I must have watched The Return three or four times now, several years apart, and each time I am left with a very strong impression. Set against the backdrop of the desolate wilderness of Northern Russia, The Return is an arresting film by first-time director Andrey Zvyagintsev. On its release, the film took most critics by ... [Continue Reading]
Amadou & Mariam: Wily Kataso
Amadou & Mariam have been playing music together since the early 1980s and Folila, released in April 2012, is the pair's latest recording. Often referred to as "the blind couple from Mali", Amadou & Mariam have a great knack for composing catchy songs in their inimitable Afro-pop style. While a lot of their music is ... [Continue Reading]