In the space of two albums, Psych-Funk Texas trio Khruangbin have breathed new life into the drum and bass sound with a compelling take on the tropes of the genre. Formed in Houston in 2010 and comprised of Mark Speer on lead guitar, Laura Lee on bass guitar and Donald “DJ” Johnson on drums, Khruangbin originally crafted their ... [Continue Reading]
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Kokoroko
Kokoroko is a young London-based collective of musicians strongly influenced by Ebo Taylor’s Ghanaian Highlife music style, by Tony Allen or Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat while also incorporating contemporary West African and European jazz sounds. While some of the band members met at London’s Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and ... [Continue Reading]
Olivier Bogé: When Ghosts Were Young
This is a recording that can be heard as on ode to the innocence of childhood […] that manages to reconnect with the ghosts […] we once were and with which, as adults, we sometimes fleetingly come into contact again. Vincent Bessières - CD liner notes Born in Toulon in the south of France, Olivier Bogé is a young ... [Continue Reading]
The Gloaming: Live at the NCH
Following in the footsteps of The Chieftains, Planxty, the Bothy Band and more recently Altan or Lúnasa, The Gloaming is one of the rare traditional Irish music bands to enjoy a commercial and critical success both a home and abroad while at the same time making a significant impact on the contemporary musical landscape. Since ... [Continue Reading]
Khruangbin: Con Todo El Mundo
“Funky drums, dub bass, melodic guitar, those are the only rules.” Hailing from Houston, Texas and comprised of Donald “DJ” Johnson on drums, Laura Lee on bass and Mark Speer on guitar, Khruangbin is one of the most exciting instrumental three piece (with the odd vocals thrown in) to emerge in recent years. The band incorporates ... [Continue Reading]
Martin Hayes Quartet: The Blue Room
In a musical context, the word "quartet" can point to a small group of four classical performers as in a string, a baroque, a wind, a vocal or a piano quartet. It can also refer to a small jazz ensemble consisting of a horn, a chordal instrument, a bass instrument and a drum kit. Released on 251 Records on 27 October 2017 last, ... [Continue Reading]
The Gloaming 2
Simply as an artist, simply as someone who is trying to move other people, what is it that you can do that no one else can do? Thomas Bartlett Since the emergence of The Gloaming as a collective in 2011, Martin Hayes (fiddle), Dennis Cahill (guitar), Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh (Hardanger d’Amore), Iarla Ó Lionáird (voice) and ... [Continue Reading]