Rabbit Songs is the debut album by Hem, a slice of arcane americana that fuses
old-time sounds with modern musical sensibilities. Fiona Reid met (t)hem
It wasn’t so long ago that The Chapters shifted focus to immerse themselves in a love of all things Americana. Maybe I’m misreading it, but ‘Looking For Love’ suggests another change of direction, this time in favour of a tight garage guitar sound. It’s not a bad song by any means, but ‘Heart Of Glass’ (no, not a Blondie cover) – which is closer to the Americana blueprint – is far better, succeeding more by trying less.
When the Dixie Chicks came out against the Iraq war, they were accused of being "un-American”. Colm O’Hare hears how the country rebels survived their own desert storm
If you get your rocks off to breakneck guitars, thumping drums and shout-along choruses, then The Offspring may be just the cartoon punks you've been waiting all your life for. Their only other hit, the anthemic 'Self Esteem' seems such a long time ago now that Dexter Holland ... pals could be a completely new band.
Explain to me again why The Gorgeous Colours haven’t yet been picked up by anyone in the usually-excitable A&R community? ‘Hunting Something’ displays the band at their most inspired, dragging the genre of Americana by its straggly hair right up to the present day. There’s trumpets ferchrissake!
More slightly unhinged Americana from The Killers, this time sounding for all the world like Meat Loaf – complete with brass section and over-the-top choir. It’s taken a bit of time to get used to their second coming but it’s starting to sound very natural all of a sudden.
The second album from the Derry duo is a pleasant collection of acoustic, folk-based songs replete with laid-back melodies and lush harmonies. Think Simon & Garfunkle and you’re not far off the mark, though the country-ish ‘Faults And Gains’ might appeal to Americana fans. A tad too downbeat at times but a real grower.
With ‘Suffer So Well’ Eleanor McEvoy takes a look at break-ups through Americana-tinted glasses. And boy does she go all the way on this one; never mind Gillian Welch, the Carter clan would be impressed by this. And then there’s the beautiful take on Marvin Gaye’s ‘Mercy Mercy Me’ that is as touching as it is innovative. If we call it ‘new blue grass’ do you think more radio stations would play it?
If you like your Americana on the impressionistic side with broad, widescreen textures then Shearwater are for you. Frontman Johanthon Melburg’s choirboy vocals blend with layers of guitar, violins, Wurlitzer organ and glockenspiel to create a heavenly soundscape which is not a million miles from outfits like Calexico. This has been described as the perfect music for a rainy Sunday morning – and they win the song title of the week award thanks to ‘Wedding Bells Are Breaking Up That Old Gang Of Mine’.
Dylan would recreate Highway 61 in his own image, a spooky fairground of lost souls, freaks and Americana where Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot rumble and John The Baptist tortures at the behest of the Commander-in-Chief.
Produced by Red House Painters/Sun Kil Moon man Mark Kozelek, the highly-rated Washington DC folk/Americana singer returns after a seven-year hiatus. Cerbonne’s soft, clear voice is almost hypnotic, while the songs range from the pared-down acoustica of ‘Araby’ and ‘Beautiful Mess’ to the low-key, full band arrangement on ‘Ruthless Order’.
The New York based Lorson makes gorgeously
understated music which truly deserves to be heard. The combination of her
mellow, slightly ragged voice, her engaging melodies and low-key production
make this a must for Americana fans.
Their combined backgrounds, great songs, production by Jayhawk Gary Louris and stellar backing from a host of Americana notables makes this a sure-fire alt. country winner.
Championed by the likes of Giant Sand’s Howe Gelbe and Granddaddy’s Jason Lyttle, M(att) Ward successfully recreates the sounds and textures of old-time American radio. The result is a beguiling tapestry of organic, lo-fi, folk, country and Americana - some of which sounds like it was recorded on a gramophone.
For just under two decades, brothers Bubba and Matt Kadane have spent the majority of their time together crafting as near perfect slices of sonic Americana as they could.
With their debut LP sinking without trace, Wexford's My Invention have taken a decidedly lo-fi approach to the follow-up, and the shift in styles to a leaner, dirtier sound reaps boundless rewards: Americana a la Grandaddy and Pavement, executed with no little panache. The EP's opener 'Jelly Fire' glistens with a mellow melody punctuated by light blotches of electronica. 'Saddest Girl In Powder' switches to darker shades, rampaging guitars illuminated by Justin Cullen's eminently listenable vocal, while 'Alligator Farm' continues an imaginative use of instrumentation without sacrificing melody.
This second country-influenced collection in a series that started with Viva Americana is something of a double-edged sword - for a fan of the genre it is a treasure trove of demos, live or alternate takes, rare tracks and exclusive recordings of select artists from the Americana stable.
While it would have been good to hear his own ramshackle brand of Americana given a meatier treatment, it can’t be denied that he does have some fine tunes in his canon and a winning way of delivering them.
Ron Sexsmith has always had a unique take on the alt.country genre. Combining a flair for haunting Americana a la Johnny Cash (indeed Retriever is dedicated to the memories of June & Johnny, along with Elliot Smith), with an arch lyrical sensibility owing a debt to Jonathan Richman, Morrissey, and even, on this outing, Neil Hannon...
Alphabetical certainly picks up where United left us; the Americana idiom is still there, juxtaposed with drum machines, synths and playful pop structures.
Eveningland would make a palatable EP, but over 50 odd minutes starts to sound like a sexless, prim and proper interpretation of modern Americana that frequently strays into the excruciatingly twee.
Cherry Ghost’s mainman Simon Aldred is clearly in love with all things Americana. That Aldred resides in rainy Bolton hasn’t lessened his fascination with Marlboro Country.
It’s a little long at 17 tracks, and hard to take in one sitting, but these songs present Americana in such an oddly compelling way that it’s almost impossible to ignore.
Rock ’n’ roll has also long been obsessed with the dual totems of cars ’n’ girls, and of contemporary bands the likes of Mercury Rev and the Vulgar Boatmen have made sure the Americana idyll doesn’t run out of gas.
Laura Cantrell – investment banker by day, respected nu-country DJ by. night – gained a dizzying reputation with her two previous albums. A degree in economics and, by country standards, suspiciously comfortable upbringing (no rags-to-riches back story here) proved little hindrance as she made the Americana a-list. Her debut, Not The Tremblin’ Kind, was judged an instant classic by the alt.country cognoscenti. John Peel declared it his favourite album of the last ten years.
He loves Natasha Bedingfield and Charlotte Hatherley, but has no time for Franz Ferdinand, Donnie Darko and hammock-sized bras. Lisa Coen wakes Ian McCulloch from his slumbers and finds the Echo & The Bunnymen legend in wonderfully morose form.
Although he views bass players as "the ugly step-child in any band", Chris Hillman was one of the longest serving members of both The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers, and 40 years on his music career shows no sign of retiring. Colm O'Hare meets the legendary Hillman ahead of his Dublin visit.
The indelible images of September 11th tragedy will be for many, the key memory of these past 12 months. Music may seem lightweight in comparison, yet its healing powers were probably more needed than ever
Temporarily quitting their LA abode for a rare homeward trip Saucy Monky reveal that the Viper Room isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and explain how they’ve conquered US television.
Music | Interview
37% | 22 Oct 2003
Phil Udell
Had enough of “PMS, Screaming, ‘Fuck Men!’” bands? well, let us introduce you to Fair Verona, the all-girl Tipperary trio who are flying the flag for melodic alt. rock.
Who said trad music was for fogeys and whiskery aul' fellas? Spook of the Thirteenth Lock draw on old-timey Irish sounds whilst also referencing prog and nu-gaze
Dr Sean Millar is back with an acclaimed new album, this time accompanied by The Beet Club, displaying a recently acquired maturity in both music and lyric. Yet he tells Stephen Robinson that he's happy to be still growing up
Country music’s stock has never been higher. First Johnny Cash gained an entire new generation of fans, then Hollywood began to pepper its films with bluegrass and roots music. Now, everyone from Jack White to Van Morrison is waking up to the magic of country. Ireland's getting in on the act too, with the launch of the Midlands Music Festival, a two-day celebration of all things hatted and booted. Colm O’Hare traces the rebirth of a genre.
He may have turned the volume down a bit, but Ricky Warwick‘s Tatoos & Alibis album still rocks like a bastard. Stuart Clark meets him and his multi-platinum mate Joe Elliott.
No, the name doesn’t refer to a local Corkonian wino legend; it derives from founder members Joe and Aoibheann Carey’s first names. Since forming the band just under 12 months ago Jodavino have gone from playing to just a dozen punters to feeding the 4000 at the Marquee.
Domino Records – home of Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Max Tundra, Franz Ferdinand and Four Tet – turns ten. Kim Porcelli talks pop culture with label boss Laurence Bell.
You know her as the songstress from Stars and Broken Social Scene. Doing her own thing AMY MILLAN reveals herself to be, of all things, a country chanteuse, her heart heavy with woe.
Scenesters have been hip to widescreen New Jersey-ites THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM for several years. Now the rest of the world is starting to pay attention, too.
Paul Wilkinson of widely touted Coleraine duo, The Amazing Pilots, on the making of the group’s Dave Odlum-produced debut album, Hello My Captor, joining artists like Jarvis Cocker and Evan Dando in paying tribute to Lee Hazlewood, and surviving a visit to the real-life Twin Peaks.
Cinematic weirditude! arbus-like photography! theoretical physics! as Paul Nolan discovers, it’s definitely not only rock’n’roll for Hope Of The States, the Chichester band with a certain Westmeath connection.
Cinematic weirditude! arbus-like photography! theoretical physics! as Paul Nolan discovers, it’s definitely not only rock’n’roll for Hope Of The States, the Chichester band with a certain Westmeath connection.
The American interior has long influenced the music of Wilco. But frontman Jeff Tweedy, a confirmed member of liberal 'blue' US still feels deeply alienated from his nation’s conservative heartland.
With presenter John Creedon on a roll with his new mid-afternoon slot on RTE Radio 1, Jackie Hayden crosses the threshold of his Cork abode to see what the man gets up to away from the mike.
He’s Ireland’s latest singer-songwriter sensation. But Colm Lynch is no mere Damien Rice clone. In fact, his debut album, A Whisper In A Riot might be the most exciting thing you’ve heard in years.
With feelgood fables like Jerry McGuire and Almost Famous, Cameron Crowe has forged a reputation as one of the Good Guys of American cinema. His new film Elizabethtown does nothing to change that perception, no matter how much he protests. "I'm more caustic than you think," he tells Moviehouse.
Buffy creator Joss Whedon was devastated when his follow-up project, a Western-tinged space-opera, was cancelled without warning. Rather than sulking, Whedon brought the show back to life in movie forkm, as the sci-fi pulp extravaganza Serenity.
Their reputation for seriousness precedes them. But in the flesh, Daniel Day-Lewis and Rebecca Miller could very nearly pass for an everyday couple. Photos by Graham Keogh.
They’re different, they’re fun, they have their critics but more and more people seem to love them. But enough about the trams; it’s all aboard for an interview with another Dublin
sensation Republic of Loose.
Taking surf rock, doo-wop and bowery punk down the Euro-autobahn, The Raveonettes have hit on a winning combination of the wild, the innocent and the sado shuffle. Sharin Foo tells the story.
Taking surf rock, doo-wop and bowery punk down the Euro-autobahn, The Raveonettes have hit on a winning combination of the wild, the innocent and the sado shuffle. Sharin Foo tells the story.
Taking surf rock, doo-wop and bowery punk down the Euro-autobahn, The Raveonettes have hit on a winning combination of the wild, the innocent and the sado shuffle. Sharin Foo tells the story.
The enigmatic DJ Shadow - aka Josh Davis - on why the time is right to speak politically, how hip-hop is regaining its radical edge and why most advertising sucks
No-one has ever asked suzanne vega before if Luka the story about child sexual abuse which made her famous was based on personal experience. Here for the first time ever the singer reveals that indeed it is and that she is still dealing with the after-effects of that traumatic experience. Interview: SIOBHAN LONG. Pix: COLM HENRY.
Michael Franti has taken a personal stand against George Bush by leading a peace delegation to the Middle East. Now back in the States where he’s vigorously campaigning against the president, he talks to Danielle Brigham about his experiences in two of the world’s most deadly war zones.
The rise and rise of the female singer/songwriter is fast achieving phenomenon status in Ireland - here,
Peter Murphy profiles an eclectic mix of new and distinctive talent
An extraordinary letter, written by Bob Dylan, offers a remarkable insight into the greatest songwriter of his generation. It also offers a hugely challenging perspective on the role of the artist.
AND THAT WAS JUST IN THE HOLLYWOOD BOARDROOMS! NEIL McCORMICK LOOKS BACK AT THE MOVIEMAKING YEAR IN WHICH ARNIE TOOK A TUMBLE, DINOSAURS CAME BACK FROM THE DEAD AND MICHAEL JACKSON’S PETER PAN DISAPPEARED OFF TO NEVER NEVER LAND.
Perhaps the most influential punk band of the ‘70s, The Ramones were nonetheless riven with internal divisions and a variety of personal traumas, both psychological and pharmaceutical. All this and more is covered in an excellent new documentary on the band, End Of The Century – The Story Of The Ramones. Here, Tommy – the last surviving member of the original line-up – looks back on the dark times and discusses the group’s legacy with Tara Brady.
t certainly would, Joe. But you can have a toot on my megaphone if you like! Gavin Friday discusses the finer points of sexual politics not to mention the post-Freudian subtext to his stunning new meisterwork Shag Tobacco with Dr Joe Jackson. Our man in the white coat concluded: Gavin s time has come. But is the world finally read
It’s been a hell of a year for The Thrills, propelled from rehearsal rooms in rainy Dublin to a number one album, sell-out shows and limo-driven tours of L.A. at night. Hotpress catches up with the band as they kick off an irish homecoming trek with an exclusive Dublin fan club gig.
1 guitar + 1 drum kit + 1 boy + 1 girl = The White Stripes. In other words, sweet, sweet noise meets the best brother and sister penned pop since The Carpenters. Eamon Sweeney meets Detroit's finest, who play Dublin Castle on Saturday, May 4th as part of the Heineken Green Energy Festival
Overnight success was a long time coming for American novelist Lionel Shriver, whose breakthrough book, We Need To Talk About Kevin was her seventh novel. Here she talks about a life-time of struggle, unsympathetic women, her blistering tennis novel Double Fault – and how she is coping with the pressures of sudden literary fame.
Not immediately recognisable as a Mundy song, this up-tempo taster from his forthcoming Raining Down Arrows album rolls along like a summer breeze on a hot dusty day.
From A to Z, Paul Nolan and Ronan Fitzgerald introduce all the runners and riders for Punchestown – throwing in a baker’s dozen of acts who are not to be missed * along the way
. . . and ready to go. Mercury Rev s recent album Deserter s Songs was met with a rapturous critical reception, even topping the Hot Press critics end-of-year poll. On their recent Dublin visit they spoke to Peter Murphy about the album, The Band and their volatile past. Jonathan Donahue pics: Cathal Dawson
First there was the bad shit then the mad shit – the biggest-selling album in Irish history, an international hit and a record you hear “in every shoe shop”. So, having climbed the white ladder to phenomenal success, how does David Gray follow that?
Full profiles on Faithless, Antony & The Johnsons, Slayer, The Who, Bell X1, Status Quo, The Flaming Lips, 50 Cent, Madness, Christy Moore, Elton John and Lionel Richie.
From “Outspan” to Glen Hansard, from Grafton Street to Hollywood – and onwards to Lisdoonvarna 2003. A portrait of The Frames as a most unusual band. Part one of a two-part special feature by Peter Murphy. [Main Photos: Mick Quinn]
With the death of Johnny Cash two weeks ago, music’s Mount Rushmore finally crumbled. From the hell-raising country outlaw of the ’60s to his final incarnation as a patriarchal figure intoning songs of guilt and redemption, Cash’s voice resonated down through the years with undimmed intensity. In this special Hot Press tribute to the Man In Black, Peter Murphy talks to Cash collaborators Sandy Kelly and U2, and recounts the turbulent life and times of one of the most iconic figures in 20th century music
With Cameron Crowe s Almost Famous putting rock hackery on the silver screen, no less, Peter Murphy wonders if Seventies rock journalism is the new rock n roll. Helping him with his enquiries: PAUL MORLEY and GREIL MARCUS
With a new tribute album to Gram Parsons on release, PETER MURPHY enlists the help of co-executive producer EMMYLOU HARRIS to recreate the tale of Southern Gothic that was the late singer s life.
Journalist, essayist, atheist, author and, above all, agent provocateur, Christopher Hitchens has not shied away from controversy over the last 30 years. But in his new book, the writer takes on his biggest adversary to date – God.
They love Ireland and Ireland loves them. As the Arcade Fire ramp up for world domination, the band talk about love, death, war and making music in churches.
It's been a long strange trip and no mistake, one that describes a discernible line from
Harry Smith's Anthology Of American Folk Music through to the Handsome Family.
But there's even more going on beneath the surface. GREIL MARCUS, the music critic's music critic,
is PETER MURPHY's guide on a mystery train whose other passengers include Elvis Presley, Robert Johnson, Mark Twain, Nick Cave, The Blair Witch, Bill Clinton, The Band, Siniad O'Connor, Beck, William Burroughs, William Faulkner and Bob Dylan. And that's just the first class carriage. All aboard
Leicester’s The Have Nots trade in the kind of fey, whimsical pop tunesmithery that made stars of Everything But The Girl, although these guys have listened to far more country music than Tracy Thorn & Co. Indeed, at their uptempo best, they’re reminiscent of The Revenants in their prime. It’s impossible to dislike Never Say Goodnight, from the toe-tappingly infectious ‘Flyers’ and ‘Papercuts’ to the Beautiful South-esque miserable-ism of ‘New Lace Dress’ or the achingly bittersweet ‘A Tiny Taste Of Death’.
Never in 24 years have The Black Crowes either changed their tune or sounded contrived, and they’re getting better all the time in their dependably unfashionable way.
Yorkston's music is for the most part downbeat and melancholic, but given a sweeping beauty by the combination of pianos, guitars, strings and percussion
Two young Americans – one with a guitar, the other hitting things – plug in and set out on a journey of discovery, digging deep into the annals of American musical history. Sound familiar? Maybe, but – hard as it might be to imagine – there were musical duos before the Whites.
Joe Pernice's second solo album in under six months, Big Tobacco picks up where February's Chappaquiddick Skyline left off, supplying a sumptuous blend of languid, melodic music with dark tales of quiet despair and lonesome longing.
LONELY STREET is the latest album from former Energy Orchard frontman Bap Kennedy, quickly following on from his Hank Williams tribute album, Hillbilly Shakespeare, released a few months back.
Comprised of members of various local indie outfits (among them Future Kings Of Spain and Mexican Pets) A Lazarus Soul have delivered an intriguing second album.
Like his compadres Dylan, Cohen, Nelson and Prine, Kris Kristofferson’s voice is showing the results of too much living, but it still can convey more passion and commitment than a chartful of boy bands.
Frank Black is something of the Paul McCartney of the alternative set - one quarter of a hugely influential band but struggling to recapture that muse throughout a patchy solo career.
It’s a sure sign of the healthy state of the indigenous scene and its standing internationally when American artists re-locate to Ireland in order to further their career.
By his own admission, Oklahoma-born Johnny Dowd lived the textbook American childhood, “driving in Daddy’s car, falling in love and listening to the radio”
By his own admission, Oklahoma-born Johnny Dowd lived the textbook American childhood, “driving in Daddy’s car, falling in love and listening to the radio”
Kicking off in a ferociously derivative swamp-rock squall, Exhibit A initially goes out of its way to confirm your misgivings. Couched in zinging guitars that evoke a backwoods ZZ Top and melodies which could have been cadged from a Nashville pawnshop, the record comes on like the work of efficient, but disengaged , forgers.
Perhaps The Features, whose semi-prominence is owed to a Kings Of Leon support slot last year, feel obliged to return the favour through the only means at their disposal: by offering up a misshapen hillbilly-metal pastiche. The gambit seems cheap, as though the group considers such shtick beneath them.
It gets better though.
With rarely a dull moment over almost two hours, the Atlanta based duo entertained and thrilled a lively audience with songs from their 15-year career and a handful of teasers from their upcoming album
With the Doors-like ‘White Women’ opening with the line, “You know I want to bone you” followed by “Fuck fuck me baby” it’s obvious that former Moldy Peach Adam Green hasn’t quite abandoned his penchant for puerile adolescent humour.
“They’re this year’s Toploader,” argued a colleague upon the release of The Thrills’ debut album last year. He was wrong, but he was typical, The Thrills have had more than their fair share of detractors.
With a year’s worth of grandiose orchestral gigs behind him, Ireland’s sweetheart and son of Idaho Josh Ritter was enveigled into celebrating Whelan’s 20th birthday with three shows in a stripped down acoustic format.
Astonishing to think that Joan Baez has been making records since 1959, but at 65 the veteran folk-singer still releases albums and tours the world with all the energy of someone half her age.
The nigh-on three hour set will see the prolific Adams delve deep into his extensive back catalogue, panhandling for precious nuggets, with songs from Heartbreaker and Gold glinting among the Cardinals’ material.
Mundy belted into his routine with gusto – a considerably better effort than his Vicar St. performance at the beginning of the summer, where sound problems evoked tantrums and gnashing of teeth.
This collection sees Levon return to his roots to reinterpret classic songs from his childhood and pay homage to those who influenced him along the way.
Celebrating its tenth anniversary, the Heineken Rollercoaster Tour 2003 arrives in Castlebar tonight for the final show, and after Waterford, Cork, Tralee, Dublin, Maynooth, Sligo, Carlow, Athlone, Limerick and Galway, everybody appears to be present and correct.
Small Engine Repair may be Niall Heery’s first feature film, but having picked up an award for best first feature at Galway last year and several other shiny trinkets, it’s one of the most keenly anticipated Irish titles in years.
World Without End is a dance with the dead, a seance of lost souls, a slow waltz with the dark side of human nature. If that sounds like something you’d sooner avoid, then stop and listen with an open mind.
The sheer variety of the material is breathtaking and brave, making it sound more like a compilation of a decade’s work rather than the “difficult” third album it could have been.
A match made in ... heaven? The Handsome Family - the husband and wife duo of Brett and Rennie Sparks who make beautiful, if rather spooky music together.
THE LAST time this listener encountered the Black Crowes, the band were, visually and sonically, stuck in '74. Like, 1874. After a year on the road flogging the Three Snakes And One Charm album, these former Sisters Of Morphine resembled some weird cult that'd crawled out of a peyote-pit on Walton's mountain, all tie-dyed dungarees and sandals, looking as bad as they must've smelled.
You know you’ve been to a bloody good Bruce gig when he can omit ‘Born To Run’ or ‘Thunder Road’ and nobody notices. Most of these young whippersnapper acts regard touring as a PR chore. Bruce, on the other hand, treats his job like a vocation.
Even before I’ve opened the PR release, I know the reference points to expect: Dylan, Petty, The Byrds and The Band with a more than-is-strictly-necessary side order of Tonight’s The Night-era Neil Young.
An all star line up featuring Mundy, the Violent Femmes, the Flaming Lips and the inimitable Bob Dylan successfully rocked the Source Festival in Kilkenny.
It seems altogether churlish to criticise Pixar for producing a movie that isn’t quite as good as Finding Nemo and The Incredibles, but with Cars, you just can’t help it.
Future generations, if there are any future generations, will look back on movies like Rules Of Engagement and feel a chill down their very spines: from Red Dawn through Independence Day and now this, the level of overt America-rules-the-planet fascism on cinematic display has positively gone through the roof.
Though the throng treat the night as a karaoke singalong excuse to rattle out the 20% of lyrics they’re actually acquainted with, the highs are vertigo peaks.
New York and LA are fine, but nobody throws frilly knickers at you quite like they do in Dublin. Futureheads guitarist Ross Millard talks music and underwear with Phil Udell
JUST THINK of all those symbols of American culture that have found their way across the Atlantic over the years and which have come to symbolise the ultimate teen-age American dream. Rock 'n' Roll, Wurlitzer Jukeboxes, Harley Davidson motorcycles, Coca Cola, Rayban Shades, Levis, '57 Chevvies - the list is endless.
Day two, and Franz Ferdinand provide pure entertainment, That Petrol Emotion win the attention of a new generation and the Body And Soul area hosts the mother of all night parties.
The sticker on the cover bears an NME quote proclaiming Giant Sand "the founding fathers of modern Americana", and while that does some disservice to everyone from Lewis & Clark to The Long Ryders, it'll set curious newcomers in the right direction.
Annual article: With Compass Records taking over the Green Linnet catalogue, the Nashville label has now become one of the biggest traditional imprints in the business.
This year sees the launch in Ireland of Rock The Vote, a campaigning organisation dedicated to promoting voter participation among 18 to 25 year olds. Hot Press is one of the key organisations that has joined forces with Rock The Vote.
It's been called the "Exploding Plastic Inevitable Turnip", but don't let that put you off: the Flat Lake Festival is rapidly becoming a highlight of the folk calendar.
Wwhy, despite his best efforts, Bruce Springsteen's take on September 11 is ultimately a let-down; and how the Catholic Church in the US is experiencing simultaneous accountancy problems and sex abuse scandals
Have a listen to our exclusive playlist of some of our favourite Northern acts who are appearing on July 25 at the small but massive Glasgowbury festival in Draperstown, County Derry.
The Boss is back, and boy is he pissed. Bruce Springsteen uses the language of classic American rock 'n' roll to address the disquiet and despair of the modern-day American nightmare. Hot Press bore witness to a cluster of exclusive warm-up shows in New York and New Jersey.
Hot Press illustrator David Rooney returns to the city he lived in over fifteen years ago and finds that – even accompanied by a fake plastic Kurt – Seattle retains its beating heart.
