Five years ago one of my colleagues at Louder Than War told anyone who was willing to listen that The Courettes would become their new favourite band if they would only listen to them.

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The summer of ’79 witnessed one of those rare occasions when a reggae song struck a chord with the entire nation – and was the first lover’s rock tune to be sung on Top of the Pops. Dennis Bovell wrote, produced and played the music on Janet Kay’s lover’s rock classic Silly Games – then stripped it back to this killer dub. (more…)

There’s a film in cinemas right now about a long-forgotten British funk band called Cymande, who disappeared 50 years ago and have decided to reform. Change one or two details – replace 50 with 40 and change funk to dub reggae – and you could be talking about Creation Rebel.

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It’s a shame… but after 70 years together, The Detroit Spinners are finally no more. Henry Fambrough was the last surviving original member of the group who were born in the Motor City but came to define the lush Philly sound. (more…)

This is such a joyful earworm, exuberantly performed by an all-female African supergroup of six vocalists celebrating self-love and acceptance. Female warriordom has never sounded so fierce, or danceable, or catchy.

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I wonder what genre, what category, Stereolab are put in in record shops. Come to that, I wonder whether there are still record shops; but if there are, where would their records be placed? (Apart from somewhere between Steps and Stereo MCs). 

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I’m not a big fan of nostalgia but I do have a natural inclination towards the melancholy, and even the maudlin, and this ticks both those boxes.

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I’m a sucker for most things to do with Louisiana – crawfish and alligators, bayous and paddleboats, zydeco and cajun music, gumbo and jambalaya, Dr John and Fats Domino, voodoo and Mardi Gras. So I’m loving this song by Waxahatchee.

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This tune is fan-fucking-tastic. It took me about ten seconds to realise it’s Underworld, and a few more to realise it wasn’t a new remix of Born Slippy – arguably the greatest dance tune of all time.

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