Reverend Jesse Jackson has died. A key figure of the civil rights movement and instrumental in getting Barack Obama to the White House, his upbringing was tough. He was tougher, yet his message was that of peace and unity. A brilliant orator and a great man. There’s a song that I immediately thought of whenContinue reading “A Song For Jesse Jackson”
Category Archives: Music
Lost In Music: Joshua Idehen – Mum Does The Washing
Truly one of the best lyrical jams of the last five years, this sly and surreal piece of spoken word describes our screwed-up times in an eloquent, deadpan way that makes me chuckle every time. I can’t wait for his debut album..The video is also excellent. I’m not a mum, and never will be, butContinue reading “Lost In Music: Joshua Idehen – Mum Does The Washing”
Archive Review : The Punk Singer
Arts:Blog Cinema Review: The Punk Singer Posted by Across the Arts on March 4, 2014, at 8.20am “Girls to the Front!” Lorna Irvine reviews the celebration of music icon Kathleen Hanna. Once upon a time in the early nineties, long before Britney, Beyonce, Miley and Ri-Ri, Bikini Kill, along with Bratmobile, Huggy Bear, Die Cheerleader, Lois and Sleater Kinney, were part ofContinue reading “Archive Review : The Punk Singer”
Lost In Music: David Bowie – Love Is Lost (Hello Steve Reich Remix)
This is a cut from The Next Day, a remix by James Murphy for DFA featuring the one and only Steve Reich, sampling his ‘Clapping Music’ and a soupcon of Bowie’s ‘Ashes to Ashes’. The clown is faded- the hat may be jaunty, but love is lost.It’s at once a jump forward and a lookContinue reading “Lost In Music: David Bowie – Love Is Lost (Hello Steve Reich Remix)”
Album Review : Maria BC- Marathon
Non-binary, California -based artist Maria BC has a duality to their work. This, their third album, occupies liminal spaces between sleeping and awake states. Their gorgeous ambient sounds can turn from soothing to jarring. It keeps the listener on their toes. Maria BC is a classically trained vocalist, and it shows. Their range is subtleContinue reading “Album Review : Maria BC- Marathon”
Archive Review : From The Deep
Arts:Blog Music Review: From The Deep–From The Deep **** Posted by Across the Arts on October 16, 2015, at 10.20am Lorna Irvine reviews an ‘excellent collaboration’ between Katharine Blake and Nick Marsh. Old Goth that I am, I have long had a girl-crush on Katharine Blake, the angel-voiced singer who made dark, impish music in the 90sContinue reading “Archive Review : From The Deep”
The Lolita Problem
Kidcore; Jenna Ortega as ‘Wednesday’, ‘St Trinians’, ‘Pretty Baby’, Jodie Foster in ‘Taxi Driver ‘, a young Britney Spears, Natalie Portman’s early roles, Kawaii, groupie tales, sexy young models, schoolgirl strippers, Page 3 and of course, the book from which the fetish arose- these are all massive cultural touchstones for many fans of pop culture.Continue reading “The Lolita Problem”
Overlooked Classic: Broadcast- The Noise Made By People
Label: Warp Records 1 Long Was The Year2 Unchanging Window3 Minus One4 Come On Let’s Go5 Echo’s Answer6 Tower Of Our Tuning7 Papercuts8 You Can Fall9 Look Outside10 Until Then11 City In Progress12 Dead The Long Year http://warp.net/ Broadcast were formed in Birmingham in 1995 by singer Trish Keenan and James Cargill. Both shared a similar aesthetic and love of the esoteric. They quickly developed a huge following,Continue reading “Overlooked Classic: Broadcast- The Noise Made By People”
Lost In Music: Before Lana Del Rey … Mazzy Star
She Hangs Brightly was the debut album from Mazzy Star, aka guitarist Dave Roback and vocalist Hope Sandoval. Previously, with singer Kendra Smith, they were Opal, but she was replaced, and the (ugh, I hate this word) jailbait prettiness and sleepy drawl of Sandoval proved more marketable, it seems. Released in 1990, essentially the duoContinue reading “Lost In Music: Before Lana Del Rey … Mazzy Star”
Catherine O’ Hara Has Gone
The versatile actor with the lovely voice has passed away at 71 and it’s such a big loss. To a whole generation she’ll forever be Kevin’s mom Kate McCallister in ‘Home Alone’, to another, Moira Rose in ‘Schitt’s Creek’, to older comedy fans she started out on Canadian TV as a sketch comedian, but forContinue reading “Catherine O’ Hara Has Gone”
Hit The North 