Sing When You're Blinging

Top of our ‘must see’ list is Mongolian Bling, a fact is infinitely stranger than fiction jobbie starring the likes of Black Rose, a duo who are as in thrall to Jay-Z as they are traditional throat singing and the horse hair fiddle.

“Forget about nomads and monks!” reads the mongolianbling.com sales pitch. “It’s hip hop that’s making Mongolia move in the 21st century. Mongolian Bling jumps into the thriving music scene in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, and follows stars as they rap nationwide with their bitches, cars, and jewels. But beyond this bling lies a failed democracy, and a dying ancient culture that the elders mourn the loss of. While many artists still aspire to the West, a handful are using hip hop to try and salvage their country’s flailing democracy, and bringing Mongolia’s rich musical history into their modern beats and rhymes.”
Journey were devastated when lead singer Steve Perry quit the band six years, but heaved a sigh of collective relief when they discovered Filipino soundalike Arnel Pineda belting out their greatest hits on YouTube. www.everymansjourney.com tells the rather touching story of how the fortysomething swapped Manlla dive bars for life in America’s rock ‘n’ roll fast lane.
Next to bayoumaharajah.com where you can discover everything there is to know about New Orleans pianist James Booker, the man reckoned by Dr. John to be “the best black, gay, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever produced”, and the subject of a fascinating looking doc, which is premiering this month as part of SXSW.
With The Ivory Emperor, The Black Liberace and Little Chopin among his nicknames, he’s a man whose acquaintance you most definitely want to meet.
Which just leaves time for quick visits to bigissue.com/features/interviews/2015/when-alex-met-wilko (Alex Kapranos hangs with Wilko Johnson); everyfuckingwebsite.com (funny because it’s bleedin’ true) and maps.geotastic.org/rude (Wankers Corner Saloon, Wisconsin here we come!)