Album: She & Him – Volume 2

There’s a lot to be said for pure originality – without it our lives would be severely lacking in, well, pretty much everything. In music though, pure originality is a fair less admirable quality. The truly original bands tend to…

Brian’s Mixtape #27: Hot to Trot

Following last week’s shameful booze-fuelled fiasco, Brian’s plunged like a lead balloon into a pit of depression so deep and wide that it’s been necessary to rescue him from his slum of a nest and reinstall him (temporarily, we hope)…

Live: Sparrow & the Workshop @ Wimbledon Watershed

Each musician in Sparrow & the Workshop brings their own musical ingredient. Frontwoman and acoustic guitarist Jill O’Sullivan’s country vocals are cuttingly pure — but more haunting banshee than soothing angel. Gregor Donaldson is a phenomenal drummer, his dexterity is sometimes astonishing. As well as that he’s that most elusive of things, a singing percussionist, whose warm Scottish baritone adds harmonic depth to Jill’s vocals. Guitarist and bassist Nick Packer scuzzes things up nicely with a layer of distortion and noise.