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Music

An artist’s duty, as far as I’m concerned, is to reflect the times. I think that is true of painters, sculptors, poets, musicians. How can you be an artist and not reflect the times? That to me is the definition of an artist.

Nina Simone

Friday, 31 January 2020 18:02

Chopin and the revolutionary inspiration of his Polonaise in A flat major

Written by Jenny Farrell

in Music

Jenny Farrell discusses Fryderyk Chopin and the revolutionary inspiration, force and vigour of his Polonaise in A flat major Fryderyk Chopin was born on 22 February 1810 in Żelazowa Wola near Warsaw, to a Polish mother and a French father. He grew up in Warsaw but left Poland in 1831,…

Friday, 13 December 2019 20:09

London is drowning – but keep the faith

Written by Mark Perryman

in Music

Philosophy Football’s Mark Perryman recalls the Clash's epic album of 40 years ago. Image designed by Hugh Tisdall for Philosophy Football 14th December 1979 – the year of Thatcher’s election was seen out with the release of London Calling, widely regarded as the finest of all Clash albums. Forty years…

The Clash London Calling the election

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Monday, 02 December 2019 10:34

Nina Simone: An Artist's Duty Is to Reflect the Times

in Music

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Chris Guiton discusses Nina Simone's Mississippi Goddam Every now and then a song comes along that defines an epoch. “Mississippi Goddam” by jazz and blues singer-songwriter Nina Simone was one such song. The song was Simone’s impassioned response to the racist murder of civil rights activist Medgar Evers in Jackson,…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Sunday, 10 November 2019 09:30

The Beatles and British culture: chippy class warriors to eternal spiritual explorers

in Music

Written by Philip Bounds

On the 50th anniversary of Abbey Road, Philip Bounds pays tribute to 'four cultural subversives' through the prism of an alternative Top Ten of their songs The Beatles are back in the news. The fiftieth anniversary of the release of their album Abbey Road provoked an outpouring of commentary across…

Abbey Road

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Wednesday, 06 November 2019 15:49

The election: Let’s Kick Out The Tories (For Once & For All)

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Chris Guiton talks to Joe Solo about politics, music and his new single The inimitable Joe Solo has a great new single out. ‘Let’s Kick Out The Tories (For Once & For All)’ is a re-recording of the song he wrote for the 2017 election. The song is an impassioned…

Joe Solo

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Wednesday, 23 October 2019 15:54

Béla Bartók: folk music, censorship and anti-fascism

in Music

Written by Michael Jarvie

Michael Jarvie discusses the life and work of Béla Bartók If you’ve ever seen Stanley Kubrick’s film The Shining you will have heard some of Bartók’s characteristic ‘night music’ – in this instance the eerie third movement of his magnificent Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta. During his lifetime he…

Tuesday, 17 September 2019 09:30

Calum Baird: Modern Man

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in Music

Chris Guiton reviews Calum Baird's latest release Calum Baird’s new single Modern Man is a potent take on male identity. The Edinburgh-based singer-songwriter and political activist writes about socialist and progressive themes in a deceptively simple folk music style. He describes Modern Man as a “critique of masculinity as a…

Friday, 13 September 2019 16:03

The Bread and Roses Songwriting and Spoken Word Award 2020

Written by Mollie Brown

in Music

Mollie Brown introduces the Bread & Roses Songwriting and Spoken Word Award 2020, and 'the instinctive joy of taking control of cultural production' The Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) and Culture Matters are pleased to announce the third edition of their successful Bread & Roses Songwriting and Spoken Word Award. The…

Tuesday, 10 September 2019 14:57

Attica Blues: The Power of Music

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in Music

Chris Guiton discusses the Attica prison riot of September 1971, and Archie Shepp's creative response to it In September 1971, the bloodiest prison riot that the United States has ever experienced took place at the Attica Correctional Facility in Attica, New York. Archie Shepp, one of the great American jazz…

Monday, 09 September 2019 13:18

By the folk, of the folk and for the folk: Joe Corrie and the Bowhill Players

Written by Tom Hubbard

in Music

Tom Hubbard writes about Fife's folk culture, past and present There are books which, discovered when you are young, remain a moral and artistic compass for you throughout your lifetime. In 1973 I bought a copy of The Penguin Book of Socialist Verse, edited by Alan Bold, and was intrigued…