dark & stormy

R&B, neo-soul, chill-hop and electronic pop that brings on the mood to mix a Dark & Stormy and stare out the window. Been dumped from a great height? You’ll live to see another day and you know it - and this proves it.

The mix is new artists together with recently established giants of modern R&B, plus a very occasional vintage touch. Redemptive, melancholic and uplifting all at once. Go ahead and wallow in it for a bit. After all, who is going to stop you?

Artists: Biig Piig, Greentea Peng, Kelsey Lu, keiyaA, Nanci, SZA, Arlo Parks, Celeste, Michael, Lianne La Havas, 070 Shake, SAULT, Cleo Sol, Aeris Roves, Rhye, Joy Crookes et. al. 

RIFF RAFF

Guitars + youth = riff raff, the new crop of guitar based indie-rock, alt-pop, post-punk and er, Sam Fender. High energy, listenable, nicely gender balanced (yes, girls can play guitars), these are songs made the old way - with attitude and guts - and tunes. Hey record labels and radio - a question: is rock dead? No it is not, thank you very much.

Artists: Boy Azooga, She Drew The Gun, Alex Lahey, Sam Fender, Dry Cleaning, Dream Wife, Marsicans, VIALETTERS, Sports Team, Cherry Glazerr, Jay Som, King No-One, Fabian Jack, Squid, Porridge Radio, The Blinders et. al.

One Night Only

In 2020 there were no gigs, but that shouldn’t stop the most powerful gig in the world - your imagination. How about a fantasy gig, with an epic, career-spanning setlist that isn’t the usual (i.e the greatest hits + the last record)?

We are in the company of legends, in unusual settings...with Mick Clarke’s beautiful portraits to gaze at. In the series so far: Elton John at Chateau Marmont, Joe Jackson at The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea and Billy Joel at Theatre an der Wien in Vienna.

Who’s next? Bjork, Tori Amos, Macca have all “not said no”, but we’re not telling until the show begins...

Lipstick & Cowboy Boots

The country-pop-folk scene being carved out by female artists is far superior to the big-hatted fellas: this is almost statistically proven. We couldn’t stand to listen to any more of those twangy-voiced dudes with big hats singing about beer, fridges and taking the dog for another walk: fellas, go grab another Bud, find the couch and a good game to watch, because you are sitting this one out.

Booze-soaked country with the usual set of problems: broken relationships, cheating losers, heavy boozers. What can you do? Get a slide guitar and a few side musicians and sing your broken heart out, with a good stiff drink to go with. Three chords and the truth n’all.

Artists: Kacey Musgraves, Kathleen Edwards, Margo Price, Katie Pruitt, Esther Rose, Margaret Glaspy, Jaime Wyatt, Lilly Mae, Katy J Pearson, Maren Morris, First Aid Kit, The Staves, Miranda Lambert, Kalie Shorr, Cam, The Highwomen, Joseph et. al.

The Boutique Hotel Bar

Here’s the problem with ‘chill’ - it’s hard to tell what is good chill (sophisticated, slow disco beats, a gentle Balearic breezy feel, clever mixing and segues, classic references, exotic ethnic flavours) and ‘average’ chill (background music). Well the problem is now solved. The BHB is proof that music can blend into the background but stand out just enough to be noticed.

The BHB is curated by Alex Macnutt, who’s had more no. 1 compilations than you have had fancy cocktails, so tune in to a chilled-out mix of music best consumed with a cocktail, in a cool hotel bar in an exotic location: your house, say. so tune-in, drink-up. And do not do spreadsheets.

Despacio

Despacio is Spanish for slowly, and this series was inspired by James Murphy (of LCD Soundsystem) and Soulwax, who created the Despacio Disco — epic, hours-long sessions that feature slower ‘dance pop’, ‘yacht rock’ or ‘guilty pleasure numbers’.

Our interpretation is a little different: designed for that ‘pre-party’ vibe, though it just as easily becomes the party itself . The perfect setting for these tunes is a gathering of close friends, family or colleagues, where mixed ages (and hopefully, cultures) come together and people tend to know each other a little. The summer helps too.

Artists: on Despacio you will hear Sade or Grace Jones, Prince or Bowie alongside Justin Bieber, Dua Lipa, Janelle Monae and Leon Bridges. You will come across more modern classics by the likes of Amy Winehouse, MGMT, Taylor Swift, or Paulo Nutini. Oh, and lots of Madonna and Rihanna, obviously.

Lost Indie Classics

What is it about indie that sticks? The jangling chords or chiming arpeggios, the pulse of the rhythm section or the angst & longing in the vocal. Ah, it'll be all of the above and then some. Some of what came out of indie’s golden period became well-known hits and anthems, but a lot of it was just great songs that have washed away in the tide of the current music scene.

These days, its endless pop, Rap & Hip Hop, Latin and now Country, dominating the airwaves and bandwidth. If, now & then all this new music just isn’t delivering what you really need, then you might find yourself nostalgic for the golden age of indie. Well, look what we found on the lawn, in the messy drawer, or the glove compartment. Put the mixtape on then.

New Americana

Wikipedia describes Americana thus: an amalgam of American music formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the musical ethos of the United States. That’s all things to all Americans then. It’s possible to interpret the definition as branching out from one root genre or another, be it country, rock, blues, or gospel.

We interpret the genre through a root note of indie, with a tinge of rock. After the genre flourished in the first decade of this century, Americana seems to have been through some quieter times, perhaps suffering from the general guitar music malaise. But very recently, as with rock, we smell a quietly confident comeback. So hit that road. Artists: Jessica Pratt, Jennie Lewis, Soccer Mommy, Lissie, The Delines, Neko Case and Laura Veirs, and the ethereal beauty of Alela Diane, The Mountain Goats, Band Of Horses, Black Belt Eagle Scout, Purple Mountains), established returners (Pinegrove, Big Thief, Bon Iver, Charlie Parr, Taylor Swift, Angel Olsen, Alexandra Saviour et. al.

new troubadours

A troubadour (English: /ˈtruːbədʊər, -dɔːr/, French: [tʁubaduʁ] was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100–1350). Since the word troubadour is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a trobairitz.

There has always been something special about the troubadour. The lone gun singer-songwriter with something to say. Something so personal and powerful, it’s best not to have band mates get in the way.

New Troubadours celebrates the best of modern day singer-songwriters of male, female and non-binary musicality. So there. You will find Jade Bird, Mac DeMarco, Kevin Morby, Aldous Harding, Julia Jacklin, VC Pines, Steve Gunn, Hand Habits, Katy J Pearson, Orla Gartland, Billie Marten, Clairo and many other modern day (and we hope future) greats.