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Best Albums of February 2013
Mike Diver
What an amazing month for new album releases that was. Cutting my initial list of over 20 standout records down to the 10 you see below was no easy task.
So, please, also direct your ears the way of excellent recent sets by John Foxx and the Maths, Night Beds, Thought Forms, Amateur Best, Iceage, inc., Matmos, Eels, Atoms for Peace, Day, Jim James, Mogwai, Ron Sexsmith, Ed Harcourt, Darkstar鈥�
Basically, go and have a rummage through February鈥檚 releases, as you鈥檙e certain to be rewarded. Find everything that 主播大秀 Music has covered lately on our .
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Kilo Kish - K+
(self-released; released 7 February)
Recommended by: , ,鈥淜ish here recalls both Lauryn Hill鈥檚 guard-down emotions, articulated brilliantly on The Miseducation of鈥�, and the solid narrative structure that served Kendrick Lamar鈥檚 good kid, m.A.A.d city so well. Her promise is reaching fruition. So let that download take its time. Genius should never be rushed.鈥�
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The Liberty of Norton Folgate - A drama
Mark Davies Markham
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The Liberty of Norton Folgate is Radio 4's Saturday Drama,聽.
Suggs, of legendary ska popsters Madness, is married to a brilliant singer. She鈥檚 Bette Bright of Deaf School fame. I鈥檓 at a Deaf School reunion gig - I see Bette and seize the moment聽 to thank her for letting me use two of her songs in a musical I had written for The Liverpool Everyman.
Flattered, she invites me to have a lager shandy with her old man, Suggs. Hunched up tight in a cosy corner of The Hope Street Hotel I pitch an idea to the cheeky chap.
"主播大秀 Radio 4. A play created around a classic concept album. What do you reckon?"
Madness in the Radio 4 studio
"Hang about," barked the bard of Camden Town. "I bet you been to Bowie for Ziggy Stardust?"
Spooky and uncannily true.
"And he turned you down?"
"Er. Well, his management did."
"Pink Floyd for Dark Side of the Moon?"
The man has a crystal ball. Nay two.
"And now you want Madness to let you loose with your grubby maulers on our classic, critically acclaimed,鈥�
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Best Albums of January 2013
Mike Diver
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Ten of the best albums from the month of January 2013...
Click to the聽聽to read more, as well as hear track previews and leave your own comments.
(Yes, we know the first pick is an EP.)
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Solange Knowles - True(Terrible Records; released 7 January)
Recommended by:聽"These songs give more with each listen; Solange's vocal arrangements keep revealing an extra melody or another ear-snagging lyric. The result is an incredibly addictive pop record that's comparable to no other contemporary release. From a singer who's always been defined by comparisons to somebody else, that's quite an achievement."
On YouTube:聽Losing You聽(external link)
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Serafina Steer - The Moths Are Real(Stolen Recordings; released 14 January)
搁别肠辞尘尘别苍鈥� -
Gearing up for the Folk Awards
Mark Radcliffe
Presenter
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This week on my new , I鈥檝e got some undisputed legends in session: electric folk pioneers . A band who, despite their fair share of troubles, have continued to be a welcome presence on the folk scene for more than 45 years.
Folk audiences hold their elders in particularly high regard and aren鈥檛 easily distracted by fashions or fads. This was writ large at last year鈥檚 , when the fruitful collaboration between and 鈥� two acts who first collaborated 20 years ago 鈥� swept the board. This was mostly considered good鈥�
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Vote for the greatest song in 6 Music's history
Elisha Sessions
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From guest writer Gary Bales, editor of 主播大秀 Radio 6 Music
Hello there.
Since the launch of on March 11th, 2002, our brilliant presenters have played nigh on a million records into your ears (seriously....based on an average of 240 tracks a day we are nearly at a million... maybe even over. Amazing, eh?), and many of those tracks were new at the time. So as we say farewell to 6 Music's鈥�
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6 Music Albums of the Year 2012
Matt Everitt
2012 seemed to be a fractured year for albums, there were no overriding genres or styles that dominated the end of year lists. Likewise few of the big established bands came up with career-defining records. However this did give new styles and artists a chance to flourish and grow through the cracks into popular taste. And when we compiled the (Top 10s are so pass脙漏 and a Top 5 just doesn't cut it) it became very obvious how diverse people's tastes had been this year.
The presenters and staff put forward their top five albums, the list was compiled, an鈥� -
Six of the Best: EPs of 2012
Mike Diver
Positioned between the quick-fix single and the longer-commitment album, the extended play release is often a perfect chance to check out an artist's work in depth, but without taking too much time out of your day. And, every so often, a standout EP makes it to . Here are six of the best to have been covered in 2012...
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Kwes - Meantime
(Warp Records; released鈥� -
Six of the Best: Mixtapes of 2012
Mike Diver
Look at the and the longlist, and it's clear that the hip hop mixtape community is producing artists and albums - as these collections are, often, every bit as much long-players proper as commercially released sets - with real mainstream reach.
Across the two lists, a number of artists with mixtape backgrounds are evident: Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd, Death Grips, Miguel, Angel Haze. And this year, several high-profile artists from Rick Ross to Wiz Khalifa, 50 Cent to Gucci Mane, have delivered new material via the free-to-download鈥�
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主播大秀 Music's Top 25 Albums of 2012
Mike Diver
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Welcome to the top 25 albums of 2012, as voted for by a wide selection of , DJs, and presenters from , , , , , and .
How was this list compiled?
Each voter was asked to submit their own top five albums of 2012. These could include DJ mix CDs, downloadable/free mixtapes and, of course, brand-new releases; but could not include reissues and deluxe/expanded editions of older albums. Each position in these top fives was worth a points score: first place was awarded 10 points; second, six; third, four; fourth, two; and鈥� -
The Best Albums of November 2012
Mike Diver
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The Best Albums of November 2012
Straight to business... Below you'll find details on 10 standout releases of November 2012. Do click through to the relevant review pages to read more about these great records; and keep them peeled for our very special Top 25 Albums of 2012, which will pop into place on these here Music Blog pages in early December.
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Miguel - Kaleidoscope Dream
(搁颁础;鈥�
