Features

Melody Gardot: An accidental musician

Friday, 13 November 2009

After an accident left Melody Gardot immobile, a doctor suggested music therapy. Now she has two acclaimed albums, and is performing at the London Jazz Festival. By Elisa Bray

Ginger Baker: Drum cat who got the Cream

Friday, 13 November 2009

Even if you missed growing up in the 1960s, you're bound to have heard Ginger Baker's explosive drumming with the rock bands Cream and Blind Faith. In both beat combos, Baker was an amazing sight.

Caught in the net: Braids weave magic

Friday, 13 November 2009

A band picking up some "blog hype" (see below) are the young Canadian band Braids (right). Based in Montreal and comprised of two girls and two boys, the band are unsigned but have released two EPs, with talk of new material to come in the first half of next year. They play a sort of spacey, experimental pop that calls to mind Animal Collective, Broken Social Scene and Telepathe. Download two of their tracks, including the wonderful "Liver and Tan", at tinyurl.com/ya7q5x3.

My fantasy band: Tori Amos

Friday, 13 November 2009

The Barometer: Four Tet; Best Coast; Wale; Hot Chip; The Very Best featuring Kano; Steve Reich

Friday, 13 November 2009

What's hot on our playlist

Observations: Rosie Oddie follows in her father's musical footsteps

Friday, 13 November 2009

Prepare yourselves for the latest daughter of a familiar face trying her luck in the music world. Rosie Oddie, daughter of TV twitcher Bill, comes with a husky singing voice. Her first appearance came rather tentatively a couple of years back as Rosie Oddie and the Odd Squad. Her band has forged a denser, more complex sound than their previous ska-pop shtick. It better suits this former schoolmate of Peaches Geldof's gritty, rock'n'roll vocal, that nods more to Skunk Anansie than Lily Allen.

Observations: French synth star Pascal Arbez produces album featuring Brigitte the virtual voice

Friday, 13 November 2009

Clasping an espresso at his management's London offices, the French synth star Pascal Arbez, better known to his acolytes as Vitalic (pronounced "vee-tal-ique"), shakes his head despondently. "All the time I am told that dance music is in danger, or even that it is dead," he says. "It's stupid. All you need to do is check the internet or go to a club or a festival and you can see how alive it is," he sighs. "But attitudes are beginning to change. Dance music has become stronger definitely. La Roux play electronic music and look what they have achieved. And I hear [the Dutch disc jockey] Tiësto has more fans than Madonna."

Opera sheds new light on Tchaikovsky's gay lifestyle

Thursday, 12 November 2009

Tchaikovsky is thought of as a gloomy fatalist, but a rarely staged humorous opera and a book about his gay lifestyle will make us think again

Lou Reed: Photographer

Tuesday, 10 November 2009

As frontman with the Velvet Underground, Lou Reed epitomised the rock'n'roll lifestyle. But a book of his photographs reveals a quieter, more reflective figure. He tells Hannah Duguid what inspired him

Swing the changes: A new generation of musicians will be turning the joint upside down at this month's London Jazz Festival

Sunday, 8 November 2009

Erotic improvisations, hanging with banjo players... Modern jazz is old news, daddy-o...