Track of the week: HQFU - Good Reason

Sarah J Stanley aka HQFU is a fresh voice from Scotland who not only makes kicking music like this, with real attitude and honesty, but she is one massive ball of creative energy.  It’s just the start for her but I’m so very excited about what is to come.

Video of the week: PJ Harvey - The Community of Hope

The album is released in 2 weeks on the 15th April and it’s, as you’d expect, brilliant. It’s so refreshing to see the way she’s used the video for this song, the subject matter of the lyrics used so brilliantly with what I expect are the real influences.  The middle section with the gospel choir is fantastic.  More please. 

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Album of the week: Frightened Rabbit - Painting of a Panic Attack

Produced by Aaron Dessner from The National, I’ve been waiting on this new album from FR for, well a few years now.  Scott Hutchison has really developed into one of my favourite song writers over the last 10 years.  This album (out on 8th April) sees the band take another step towards really showing their potential.  Excited to see them live over the summer and see and hear these tracks live.

Gig of the Week: Clint Mansell at Royal Festival Hall (24th March)

I saw Clint play in LA back in 2012, a wonderful selection of music from the various scores he was written over the years. He’d done the wonderfully clever thing to get over not having the rights to use the film footage as visuals.  He had put out to fans to submit their own visual interpretations of songs and he used them in the live show.  If you are a fan of film scores, he’s one of the best.  Long term collaborator with Darren Aronofsky on the likes of Requiem for a Dream,  The Wrestler, and Black Swan and with other film makers on Mood, Filth and most recently the incredible High Rise with Ben Wheatley.  I’ve just bough the soundtrack on Vinyl and here’s hoping he plays some of that this week.