May 8, 2012

The UK's answer to SXSW. The Great Escape Festival is coming soon. Brighton's Great Escape Festival was established in 2006 and is the UK music industry's answer to the influential SXSW festival held in Austin, Texas every year. This year, over 300 artists will perform over 27 venues between Thursday May 10, 2012 and Saturday May 12, 2012. As well as the hundreds of performances, there will also been industry related events, such as panel discussions with the likes of BBC 6Music's Matt Everitt, the record producer Trevor Horn and Stone Roses biographer John Robb. Check out our preview page for details on where to catch out top tips for the festival, including The Chapman Family, Spring Offensive and Stealing Sheep.

Videos of the Week... With a video that's as rousing as the soulful music that soundtracks it, Rudimental's 'Feel the Love' featuring John Newman looks set to be a serious summer anthem, despite the fact that it's filmed in a particularly frosty setting. As kids ride horses through the snow in run-down city streets, the sense of community and euphoria in the video matches the euphoric d&b rhythms that it traces.

Playing out like a gritty kitchen sink drama, the video for Delilah's 'Breathe'

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shows a relationship in turmoil. Combining elements of dubstep, soul and drum and bass, Delilah (born Paloma Stoecker) has been honing her craft by touring with the likes of Maverick Sabre and Chase & Status. Now, she's breaking out on her own, with LV on co-production duties and this track is the precursor to her debut album 'From the Roots Up.'


Records of Note... An unusual release from Damon, this time around and a far cry from the oeuvres of either of his former bands, Blur and Gorillaz. The music from Dr. Dee is comprised of tracks that Damon wrote for the opera of the same name, written about John Dee, Elizabeth I's medical and scientific advisor. Our review draws comparison to the English folk of Syd Barrett, though finds that the lack of the context for the recordings can often be unsettling.

You can now view the video for The Staves' track 'Motherlode.' The video sees the girl in a quintessentially British setting; thoroughly befitting of their gentle melodic folk music. 'Motherlode' is a fine display of their comforting harmonies; the rest of the EP is reviewed on the site, as well. Our reviewer has them pitched in with the current crop of nu-folk, including Mumford and Sons and Laura Marling.


Live Music Highlights... Canadian songwriter Dan Mangan

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has been touring the UK in support of his third album 'Oh Fortune' and our reviewer described this Brighton gig as "a chance to experience an intimate evening with a man who has much larger stages to play on the horizon." He started the evening with a "brave" instrumental ad it turned out to be an emotional evening, with "joyous sing-alongs" and "raucous audience participation."


Touring News... Dub Pistols tour the UK from 4th - 31st May, to support the release of their fifth studio album, 'Worshipping the Dollar,' released in July on Sunday Best Recordings. Pop-rockers Gringo Star also hit UK shores this week, promoting their latest album 'Count Yer Lucky Stars.'


In the News... R.I.P Adam Yauch

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of Beastie Boys. The 47 year-old hip-hop legend passed away on May 4, 2012, aged 47 years old. He had been battling cancer for three years and finally succumbed to the disease. His band mate Mike D paid tribute to Adam (known as MCA), saying "the last few days have just been a blur of deep emotions for our closest friend, band mate and really brother. I miss Adam so much."

Courtney Love no longer has control of Kurt Cobain's image rights. Documents uncovered by The Fix reveal that she relinquished control of the rights in exchange for a $2.75million loan from her daughter's trust fund, in 2010.


 

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