music

The incendiary Japanese group who emerged out of late-60s unrest were suspicious of studios so their legacy was long left to bootleg obsessives. But unheard recordings are revealing their lesser-known gifts for melody By 1969 student protests were raging across Japan, as anti-university, anti-war and anti-government movements mingled in strikes and classroom blockades. “Students were getting real…

Shaad D’Souza explains how bands such as Geese have faced a backlash since a marketing company revealed its tricks for pushing them into the limelight, and Eamonn Forde discusses what it takes to succeed in the music industry today. Discovering new music you love can feel like unearthing treasure. So when fans flocked to Geese in the last year and made their frontman, Cameron Winter, the most tal…

The British artist was booed after identifying as a Republican voter while on stage in Dallas Rapper Kid Cudi has fired MIA from his tour after the British artist went on a rant that went viral while on stage in Dallas. While opening up for the hip hop artist on 2 May, MIA was booed after saying: “I’ve been canceled for many reasons. I never thought I would be canceled for being a brown Republica…

At Kiwanis-Teledyne Park on Pine Lake in La Porte, Indiana, there are seven chimes, ranging from 7-9 feet tall, with two mallets on which a joyful noise can be made. A trained ear will instantly note that when striking these chimes, the pitch is one octave below middle C. They are considered contrabass, or double bass. In 2017, the Joyful Noise Outdoor Instruments were installed as part of a coop…

Milton Court, London The four siblings start with Webern before ditching traditional instruments for mics, voices, percussion and oud ‘We’ve done many concerts, but this is the first time I’m stressed,” the first violin confesses with a grin, lowering his instrument before a single note has sounded. But before he can launch into the story he’s interrupted by the cellist. “We’re actually supposed …

‘The man is the establishment, I suppose, the military industrial complex. A few year later, when we played it live, we added a loop of Bill Hicks saying: “All governments are liars and murderers”’ Gruff was the first person I ever met who could just churn out songs – good, catchy ones. I joined his band Ffa Coffi Pawb, but by 1992 they’d split and Gruff and I were living in Cardiff, as were Bunf…

Until February 2026, all AI systems claimed that Aphex Twin had never performed in Osaka during his first visit to Japan. Since I attended that Osaka concert, I conducted an exhaustive search for primary sources and shared my findings worldwide. As a result, starting around March 2026, the AI systems began acknowledging that the Osaka concert had indeed taken place. This article aims to correct t…

The emo kings on growing up in Arizona, making it big, and Jim’s annoying wake-up calls Jimmy Eat World are an alternative rock band from Mesa, east of Phoenix, Arizona. Formed by vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind in 1993, they have released 10 albums – including their 2001 breakthrough record, Bleed American. Its hit single, The Mid…

Milton Court, London The Venezuelan pianist was mercurial and dazzling in this Spanish-themed recital including Chopin, Scarlatti and Albéniz adding improvisational mastery with a Purcellian take on Here Comes the Sun Mozart did it. Liszt, famously, too. You could hardly stop Bach and Messiaen – even Boulez dabbled. But at some stage improvisation disappeared from the concert platform; experiment…

Whether made by human hand or shady algorithm, emotion-based playlists are everywhere. But if you’re looking for a superior soundtrack to ‘all the feels’, get your ears round these selections from our music writers Music might be the greatest mood enhancer in the world: it’s certainly hard to think of another art form that can so effectively tip a feeling of happiness into euphoria or create a su…

Purcell Room, London Works by Kaija Saariaho, Imogen Holst and Chaines were woven into Manchester Collective’s concert that blended music with dance, theatre and multimedia, with cellist Laura van der Heijden at its heart Collaboration is an artform in itself, as Southbank Centre’s Multitudes festival has demonstrated over two weeks of sometimes divisive but never-less-than stimulating creative c…

Les Claypool and Sean Lennon discuss AI, art, and empathy in their new concept album 'The Great Parrot-Ox and the Golden Egg of Empathy.'

This article focuses on the “intention-image-expression” framework in the aesthetics of Chinese traditional music, discussing its generative mechanism and structural features in traditional musical practices such as the guqin, and further testing this framework within the contemporary context of AI music generation. Beginning with the relational chain of “intention-image-expression,” the article …

With a feral energy and a Liam Gallagher growl, the Dublin band’s beguiling music is a great evolution of a venerable genre From Dublin Recommended if you like Lankum, the Mary Wallopers, the Pogues Up next Debut EP It’s a Hell of an Age out now, playing festivals this summer and touring the UK in autumn Madra Salach means “dirty dog” in Irish, which feels about right for a group of lads bringing…

(Heavenly) With strong words for Keir Starmer, the Irish rave-rap trio remain unbowed by the controversy around them – and yet this is a more ruminative record than you might expect Five tracks into Fenian, the listener is confronted by the sound of rapper Mo Chara expressing a desire to go and live off-grid outside a small village in County Meath. He does this in characteristic style – prefaced …

RoxyPiano is the only free browser-based piano that combines 88 keys, 128 GM instrument sounds, Salamander Grand Piano V3 studio-quality samples, and full USB MIDI keyboard support — all without any download or account required. It features falling notes visualization at 60fps, a Wait Mode that pauses until you press the correct key, real-time practice scoring, advanced metronome with accent patt…

Pop psychodrama Mother Mary might look and sound the part but it’s the latest failed attempt to turn the life of an arena-touring singer into a compelling movie For anyone with even the slightest interest in Hollywood, it is not entirely surprising that Anne Hathaway recently appeared on Popcast , the New York Times critics’ podcast that has become a premier destination for music promotion. After…

(Nyege Nyege Tapes) Reinvigorating the South African mapanta subgenre, producer Serokolo 7 blends folk vocal melodies with seething 180bpm rhythms, creating a barrage of sound South Africa pulses with electronic music. From the slow-bubbling feel of amapiano to the frenetic pace of Durban’s gqom, Soweto’s marimba-heavy shangaan electro and the sample-heavy 90s house of kwaito, each region seeming…

(Lost Highway) After two underwhelming pop-leaning records, the country star gets back to basics on this sparsely produced gem filled with wit and hard-won lessons Kacey Musgraves’ seventh album feels like a sigh of relief. Since 2018’s prismatic country-pop marvel Golden Hour , the Texan has struggled to maintain a foothold in pop: 2021’s Star-Crossed wed overly high-concept breakup songs to ind…