‘Singing, writing and playing piano at around 5 years-old’, today aged 24; Natalie Duncan is now the proud matriarch of her own album – ‘Devil in Me’. Nearly two decades after the Surrey born singer-songwriter “realised I was a bit obsessive about music”, Duncan’s 14 track debut was released on Verve Records in July this [...]
REVIEW: Akala @ 02 Academy Birmingham, Nov 26th
Words by Ed King / Photos by Katja Ogrin http://www.katjaogrinphotography.com There should be more people here. Don’t get me wrong, it’s shoulder to shoulder from the sound desk to the stage, but I expected a full room tonight. I’ve seen the interest Akala can create, and I’m disappointed to still see space at the back. [...]
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REVIEW: Alternative Dubstep Orchestra @ H&H, Nov 19th
Words by Helen Calcutt / http://helencalcutt.org I don’t usually stay up until five in the morning. In fact, I usually sleep to this point, get up, and find the morning again; a fresh untainted canvas with nothing but a few stars or a cold sunrise. On this occasion, however, I found myself going right through. [...]
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INTERVIEW: Camilla Staveley-Taylor, from The Staves
Birmingham Review first saw The Staves in April this year, playing at The Glee Club, and have kept them hovering on radar ever since. With pitch perfect harmonies, the Staveley-Taylor sisters ‘have been singing for as long as any of us can remember’; and now have a firm footing in the UK’s folk revival. Playing [...]
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PREVIEW: Akala @ 02 Academy Birmingham, Nov 26th
Akala, aka Kingslee Daley, released his first single in 2003 – ‘Welcome to England’, a track that would again feature on the artists’ debut ‘War’ mixtape in 2004. Akala’s latest mixtape, ‘Knowledge is Power – Vol 1’, was released in May this year, seeing the London born rapper, poet and Edutainment emcee tour the UK; [...]
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