“Iko Iko” is a much covered New Orleans song that tells of a parade collision between two tribes of Mardi Gras Indians and the traditional confrontation. The song, under the original title “Jock-A-Mo“, was written and released in 1953 as a single by James “Sugar Boy” Crawford and his Cane Cutters but it failed to […]
Vivaldi – Concerto for Strings in G major
The Concerto for Strings in G major, RV 151, commonly referred to as the Concerto alla rustica (Italian for ‘rustic concerto’), is a concerto for orchestra without soloists by Antonio Vivaldi. It was written between mid-1720 and 1730, and is one of the composer’s best-known concerti. The Concerto alla rustica, unlike some other of Vivaldi’s […]
Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone
“Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone” is a song published in 1930. It was written by Sam H. Stept with lyrics by Sidney Clare. The original publication also credited singer Bee Palmer as co-composer. It charted first in 1931 and was sung by Gene Austin. It is regarded as a classic break-up song. […]
Melanie
Melanie Safka was born and raised in the Astoria neighbourhood of Queens, New York City. Her father, Frederick M. Safka, was of Ukranian ancestry, and her mother, jazz singer Pauline “Polly” Altomare, was of Italian heritage. In the 1960s, Melanie started performing at The Inkwell, a coffee house in the West End section of Long […]
Supercar
Supercar (スーパーカー, Sūpākā) was a Japanese rock band active from 1995 to 2005, who made their debut in 1997. Consisting of composer and vocalist Koji Nakamura, lyricist and guitarist Junji Ishiwatari, bassist Miki Futukawa, and drummer Kōdai Tazawa, Supercar is best known for combining alternative rock with electronic music and has been characterized as having […]
Shoka Okubo Blues Project
Shoka Okubo is a Japanese musician, guitarist, singer, songwriter, and drummer. She started playing the drums at 7 years old, before moving on to learn the guitar at age 13. After watching a movie on the ‘Blues Brothers’, she developed an interest and love for blues music. Some of her favourite blues musicians include T-Bone […]
Mozart – Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major
The Piano Sonata No. 16 in C major (K545), by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who described it in his own thematic catalogue as “for beginners”, and it is sometimes known by the nickname Sonata facile or Sonata semplice. Despite this, the sonata is actually not an easy work to perform and can hardly be described as […]
The Sundays
The Sundays were an English alternative rock band, formed in the late 1980s, which released three albums throughout the 1990s. The band’s beginnings came with the meeting of singer Harriet Wheeler and guitarist David Gavurin while attending Bristol University. Wheeler had played gigs with Cruel Shoes, an early incarnation of the band Jim Jiminee. The […]
The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid, who are the two founders and only consistent members of the band since its formation. They are recognized as key figures in the development of […]
‘Til Tuesday
‘Til Tuesday was an American new wave band formed in Boston, Massachusetts. The band, consisting of Aimee Mann (lead vocals, bass), Robert Holmes (guitar), Joey Pesce (keyboards), and Michael Hausman (drums), was active from 1982 to 1989. ‘Til Tuesday first gained fame six months after its formation when it won Boston’s WBCN Rock & Roll […]