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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

Monday, 03 August 2020 16:12

Singing new forms of escape: Paul Robeson's afterlife in a U.S. prison

Written by Shana Redmond

in Music

Shana L. Redmond writes about Paul Robeson’s afterlife in a U.S. Prison “I have begun to undertake the task of trying to establish a Paul Robeson month here at Marion Federal Penitentiary,” wrote Bil Brown-El. An incarcerated person in the medium security prison in rural Illinois, USA, Brown-El addressed his…

Scottsboro Boys Trenton Six CPUSA The Emperor Jones James Baldwin Black Lives Matter

Thursday, 25 June 2020 10:28

From Seoul to Detroit: Techno Amidst Protest and Pandemic

Written by John R. Eperjesi

in Music

John R. Eperjesi outlines the connections between techno, COVID-19, and Black Lives Matter. The article is in memory of Mike Huckaby So we make music. We make music about who we are and where we’re from. - Jeff Mills We need images of tomorrow; and our people need them more…

Mike Huckaby George Floyd Black Lives Matter Covid19 Techno

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Wednesday, 11 March 2020 14:58

The Winners! The Bread and Roses Award for Songwriting and Spoken Word

in Music

Written by Mollie Brown

Mollie Brown presents the results of the latest Bread and Roses Songwriting and Spoken Word Award, sponsored by the CWU and the Musicians' Union After a very difficult time judging all 48 fantastic entries, we finally agreed on five winners, one from each category - Climate Emergency, Workers' Lives, More…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Friday, 31 January 2020 18:02

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

in Music

Written by Jenny Farrell

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,…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Friday, 13 December 2019 20:09

London is drowning – but keep the faith

in Music

Written by Mark Perryman

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

Written by

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,…

Sunday, 10 November 2019 09:30

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

Written by Philip Bounds

in Music

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

Wednesday, 06 November 2019 15:49

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

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in Music

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

Wednesday, 23 October 2019 15:54

Béla Bartók: folk music, censorship and anti-fascism

Written by Michael Jarvie

in Music

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…