James Wijesinghe reviews Poltimore festival
New Zealand’s Youngest Female Prime Minister Sets a Precedent
She discovered she was prime minister the same way we all did: perched on the edge of her couch with a pie in the microwave. Jecinda Ardern is now the world’s youngest female political leader. At 37, Ardern is a progressive social democrat giving kiwis their flight back. Back in September’s general election, Labour won […]
Listen Close: Migos – Bad and Boujee
“My bitch is bad and boujee, Cookin’ up dope with an Uzi” Trap trio Migos are primarily known for dominating the charts with their “turnt” and “lit” mumble-rap tracks. But, Quavo, Takeoff and Offset are also pioneers of modern Marxism. In their number one song ‘Bad and Boujee (Ft. Lil Uzi Vert)’, the hip-hop […]
Listen Close: Ed Sheeran – ‘Shape of You’
“I’m in love with the shape of you; We push and pull like a magnet do.” Written with the Barbados-babe Rihanna in mind, Ed Sheeran’s recent attempt at a tropical-house club hit sees him swap his busker persona for a raunchy Casanova. The track was released as a double A-side with ‘Castle On A […]
Listen Close: The Weeknd – Starboy
“Look what you’ve done / I’m a motherfuckin’ Starboy” – The Weeknd That is the confident refrain of The Weeknd’s recent single ‘Starboy’. As the title track to the artist’s November release, (which marked a significant change in his musical direction), it’s lyrics stand out as illustrative and delicately composed. Between each gasping “ha-ha-ha” of the chorus, […]
Album Review: Jimmy Eat World – Integrity Blues
“Oh my god I love this song, I used to listen to this in middle school!” Declared culture commander Taylor Swift in her latest Apple Music advert as she jammed to Jimmy Eat World’s 2001 (and endless Guitar Heroes) hit, ‘The Middle’. Does their latest album contain classics on this level, or is it another […]
Festival Review: Nass 2016
Down in Shepton Mallet Showground, skaters and skankers, (all wearing bum-bags at inventive angles), brim tents and bust tricks together for four days each year. Having finally scrubbed away all the dirt from Nass, (the UK’s biggest music and action sports festival), it’s time so see if we have any recollection left of the weekend’s […]
The Top of the Poppers
Be it as an mind opening gateway to creativity, for spiritual and meditative purposes, or to simply enhance the enjoyment of music, psychoactive substances have always been present in the background of the music scene. However, subtly, (yet often explicitly and to much criticism), drugs have persistently played a part in the foreground music. The […]
Big Narstie at Exeter Phoenix, 03/10/15
“If you do not understand the basics, how can you understand the bass?” As the fog of weed smoke fell, Big Narstie swaggered onto stage like a tranquillized elephant. After passing his spliff to the front row, the Brixton grime MC declared “Don’t bun it now, we’re already getting into trouble”, and proceeded to charge […]