Electric 6
Electric 6
by Neil
Electric 6 shot to fame in 2003 with two Top 5 hits (Danger High Voltage and Gay Bar) and sold-out three UK tours over the following year. Despite being unable to repeat the chart success they enjoyed back then, Electric 6's reputation for formidable live performances hasn't changed. Imagine four members of four completely different bands playing on stage together at the same time, each in a different style: disco, stadium rock, electro-pop and glam-rock - and you come close to the Electric 6 live experience. Add the somewhat sinister frontman, Dick Valentine, to the mix and, rather than the chaotic result you might expect, it somehow all comes together to create a surprisingly coherent and very entertaining live show.
Sheelanagig
30th Old Duke Jazz Festival
by Bob
This month sees Bristol's Old Duke pub in historic King Street holding its 30th annual jazz festival, which kicks off at 2pm on Saturday 23rd and ends around 11pm on Bank Holiday Monday. During the course of the three days, some fifteen acts will take to the outdoor stage, situated between the Duke and the famous black-and-white timbered Llandoger Trow. Over the years some of the top names in British traditional and mainstream jazz have graced the stage including Danny Moss, Kenny Wheeler, Brian Lemon and Humphrey Lyttelton, as well as visiting musicians from Europe and the United States. One of this year's highlights features trumpeter Digby Fairweather appearing with ace reed player Julian Marc Stringle. These days the entertainment tends to be provided by artists closer to home and the musical spectrum takes in a wider variety of jazz and more contemporary styles, for example Bristol's Sheelanagig, but lovers of straight ahead traditional jazz will be well catered for by the likes of Pete Martin's Jazz Kings, the Severn Jazzmen and the Blue Notes Jazz Band. Be sure to get there early as the festival regularly draws a big crowd of jazzers and non-jazzers alike!
See 30th Old Duke Jazz Festival details >
The Supremes, Image Courtesy Of Motown Records Archives.
The Story Of The Supremes at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London
by Graham
Set against the backdrop of the meteoric rise of Motown Records and of the American civil rights movement, this impressive exhibition explores the inspirational role The Supremes played in changing racial perceptions, and their influence on today's performers. The display includes costumes and other memorabilia of the original Supremes - Mary Wilson, Diana Ross and Florence Ballard - and examines how the group was carefully styled by Berry Gordy and his Motown associates. Anyone with an appetite for Motown should discover this one of a kind exhibition for a first-hand look at historic memorabilia of the legendary group that brought the world such hits as Baby Love and Stop! In The Name Of Love.
See The Story Of The Supremes details >
Jeffrey Lewis
Jeffrey Lewis
by Meg
So much more than just a musician, New York's Jeffrey Lewis is also a comic book artist, storyteller and poet, who fuses all these elements into his ramshackle live shows to create a true DIY ethic. Having collaborated with artists such as Kimya Dawson of The Moldy Peaches and Diane Cluck, Lewis is often seen as one of the core founders of the New York antifolk movement. His last album, 12 Crass Songs, released in late 2007, saw the singer-songwriter covering twelve songs by British punk anarchists Crass, and his most recent live dates were opening for Stephen Malkmus of Pavement fame in Europe.
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Stanton Delaplane
Stanton Delaplane
by Alex
Stanton Delaplane stands as one of the most beautiful male voices you will ever hear. Almost sweet, but never saccharine, with a touchingly solemn tenor melancholy. His songs are romantic, lyrically sparse so as to be merely suggestive of their content, and very human; The Vapid Comedy of Garfield Flash is an ominous, cascading mantra driven by deep euphonium drones, a stark contrast with the mourning notes of Under You. Go to one of his gigs as soon as possible and see for yourself why everyone loves this man. Pick up one of his CDs while you're at it - they are, almost criminally, free.
