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Gorillaz Video Screening
Gathered in a small studio in London’s Soho, you have to wonder what could possibly be so impressive about the new Gorillaz video that Britain’s journalists have been shepherded together for a screening. New single “On Melancholy Hill”...Read the full article.....
Frankie & The Heartstrings : Interview
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Sometimes, (not often mind), you go to see a band with a vague sense of expectation, born from nothing more than early releases and odd pieces of press, only for, by some twist of fate, this band you considered “fairly decent” until now to prove one of the...Read the full article.....
Save BBC 6 Music : Consultation
As many of you will be aware Digital radio stations BBC 6 Music and the Asian Network are facing closure as part of a shake-up of the BBC. This proposal has caused general outcry amongst musicians and music fans alike...Read the full article.....
The Drums : Interview
Full of nostalgic charm, The Drums have taken the music scene by surprise in one of the most unlikeliest success stories this year. Harking back to a golden age of music, their surf-tinged indie pop...Read the full article.....
Acid Washed : Interview
Acid Washed are the Parisian duo of Andrew Claristidge and Richard D'Alpert, and although they have day jobs, after hearing their polished self-titled Record Makers debut album, you’d think they’d be full-time musicians... Read the full article.....
Gorillaz : Plastic Beach
What is a Plastic Beach? Is it a metaphor for the consumerist world and its destruction of the planet? Or is it a genius way of not getting sand in your swimming costume? It does not really matter, because... Read the full article.....
Kid Sister
Kid Sister has had a certain amount of notoriety for some time despite her long-awaited debut album only just being dropped after being pushed back over and over again. Such notoriety can be attributed to a number of things...Read the full article.....
Interview with Andy C (RAM Records)
Andrew Clarke, aka Andy C, has been the biggest name in UK drum & bass since it started hitting speakers back in the early 90s. Beginning his career as a producer, he then co-founded the UK’s biggest drum & bass record label to date, RAM Records...Read the full article.....
Hot Chip : One Night in Brixton
Walking through the corridors backstage at the Brixton Academy en route to meet my interview subjects never fails to stir up the musical sentimentality ingrained in me. There is always an air of excitement and adrenaline surging as...Read the full article.....
Beach Break Live 2010
This year sees the return of the UK's biggest student festival, and the ONLY place to be from 14th to 18th June: Beach Break Live 2010, set in the picturesque surroundings of Pembrey Country Park...Read the full article.....
Bigger Than Barry Records
“I was Dj’ing at Mad Decent events in Birmingham when I had this idea come to me...”, sounds like a line from the latest Windows advert. But instead of thinking of ways to complicate PC’s, Tom Short, aka Shorterz, was instead dreaming up his own record label...Read the full article.....
Delphic : Interview
Following a whirlwind 2009, synth masters Delphic show absolutely no sign of letting up. With the release of critically acclaimed debut Acolyte already stamped down as an early achievement...Read the full article.....
Still Flyin' : Interview
San Francisco superband, Still Flyin' have joyously bounded a long way since their joke fuelled dub and reggae infused early development. Their complete refusal to reflect the dark mood of the moment infecting the world...Read the full article.....
Shy Child : Q & A
After a three year hiatus, New York's Shy Child are returning in 2010 with a sound that's more lush, dense, intoxicating, and surprising than ever... Read the full article.....
Slof-Man : Interview
Listing his influences as Benga, Loefah and Skream amongst others, Slof Man makes no apologies for jumping on the Dubstep bandwagon. Despite entering the scene very late, Slof-Man has...Read the full article.....
Plastiscines : Interview
As one of the first signings of Nylon Records in New York, the Parisian all-girl guitar-wielding group Plasticines are back with their sound expanding sophomore record this year. The rock’n’roll of their former effort still exists... Read the full article.....
What or Who to watch out for in 2010
The Noughties are over and we have to say goodbye to the first decade of the Millennium. It is a shame because there was many zeitgeist breaking moments in the decade in the music world. The irony then, that 2009 was a pretty nondescript year, is not lost...Read the full article.....
Albums of The Decade : 2000 - 2009
I don’t know about you, but I’m sick and tired of seeing television programmes lamenting what a piss poor decade the so-called ‘noughties’ have been. I mean, a decade is just a period of time definable by the fact that it spans exactly ten years...Read the full article.....
Whats New?
Urban Music Awards
Cleopatra
When: 1st November 2009
Tonight is a gathering of the freshest names in UK Urban Music. A gathering of old school legends. A gathering of their celebrity fans. A celebration of the rise and strength of the UK urban music scene, giving artists the stage on which to perform and the recognition they deserve.
Now we’re not expecting the awards to be as big as the Brits or have a red carpet as long as the Oscars’, but it has enough Caribbean food, complementary drinks and British household celebs milling about to have a pretty good night. Celebrity Love Islander Paul Danan, queen of clean Aggie Mackenzie and MP George Galloway are amongst some of the surprising faces here (yes, at the Urban Music Awards) - and at the other end of the lobby is a rather dashing-looking Frank Bruno, Big Brother blonde Aisleyne and the Reggae-Reggae sauce man himself, Mr Levi Roots.
Frank Bruno
This evening’s VIP bash, founded by CEO Jordan Kensington, kicks off with a performance from King P, Omar and Yoshi, and after a few awkward pauses throughout the night (as some of the presenters did not turn up or were having too good a time at the bar), the audience gets involved - well, BB’s Aisleyne gets up for a dance in the front row, anyway.
A whopping 750,000 of the UK public voted for tonight’s Urban Music Awards, which is now in six countries worldwide and is planned to launch in Africa this December. It’s clear that the youth of today are an important element of tonight’s celebration, as Jordan Kensington invites pupils from a local school, St Matthew’s Academy, to recite their own poems about success on stage and compete for the Young Achiever’s Award 2009. The winners are in the form of four young cheeky chappies, Double MDO, who bring the comedy factor and win over the crowd with their individual sketches.
The Urban Music Awards 2009 have some interesting presenters. Take actress Linda Robson, famous for her role in Birds of a Feather, and Eastenders’ young mum Shana Swash, for example - hardly the poster girls for UK urban music - but all the award presenters have a clear passion for championing this music scene. Other presenters include TV Comedian Rowland Rivron, Frank Bruno, Kele le Roc and R&B sisters Cleopatra, who wowed us with an impromptu a cappella performance and are coming back big in 2010.
The winners tonight are as follows:
Best Album - N-Dubz ‘Uncle B’
Best Dance Act - Calvin Harris
Best Collaboration - Jay Sean ft Lil Wayne
Best DJ - DJ Swerve
Best Entrepreneur - Levi Roots
Best Gospel Act - Guvna B
Best Group - JLS
Best Hip Hop Act - Sway
Besst Jazz Act - Yolanda Brown
Best Music Video - K.I.G Family ‘Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes’
Best Newcomer - Egypt
Best Producer - Blessed Beats
Best Radio Station - Kiss
Best TV Station - Flava
Best R&B Act - Brick & Lace
Best Radio Show - James Merritt
Best UK Asian Act - RDB
Most Inspiring Act - Brick & Lace
Outstanding Contribution to the Community - Nii Sackey
And after a legendary, old school performance of garage anthem ‘Little Bit Of Luck’ by DJ Luck & MC Neat, the duo clean up with the honorary Lifetime Achievement Award.
Other fantastic performances include Wild Sugar, a soul trio putting urban and vintage together with their team of fashion models-cum-backing dancers in tow, Best Music Video winners K.I.G Family, with a moonwalking version of club hit ‘Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes’, and the favourites of tonight - Best Newcomer Egypt dazzles us in a classy number with her ‘In The Morning’, and young rising star Meleka even grabs Levi Roots up on stage during her performance of new single ‘Go’.
K.I.G Family
Granted, the names we wanted here weren’t here tonight - Calvin Harris, Dizzee Rascal and JLS to name a few - but these are the ones who have already made in in the mainstream. Are they now too big to celebrate the genre they conquered? Do they care if it isn’t all over the BBC and Channel 4? Are they now classed as pop and if so, will this be the case for all urban artists who ‘make it’? The artists here tonight are young, fresh and passionate - let’s hope they stay that way and see if and how they have changed at next year’s awards!
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Reply #1 on : Sun November 21, 2010, 17:31:49
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Reply #2 on : Thu July 14, 2011, 16:58:05