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Dark side sensuality: A Stream of Passion, Type O Negative and Nine Inch Nails
From the tight trousers of the hair metal bands to the long tongued, groin-thrusting Gene Simmons; from the lascivious Steel Panther (who are seemingly unable to tour without penetrating approximately...
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Two nights with Sam Cooke: At the Copa and the Harlem Square Club
Allow me to engage in a bit of opinionating: of all the soul singers to have twisted, stomped, grooved, sashayed and stepped lightly across a stage, of all the gravelly, gritty, sandpapery, velvety,...
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“I get bored fast!” An interview with legendary Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen
The engine room behind Fela Kuti’s astonishing Africa 70 band, the undisputed founder of the Afrobeat rhythm and, in the words of Brian Eno, “perhaps the greatest drummer who has ever lived”. This is...
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“The Spirit of ’69″: The Skinhead Playlist
Following our feature on the history of the skinhead movement, iCrates brings you this exclusive playlist… Writing about the skinhead subculture was one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve had in...
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The best dance music on Earth: In appreciation of soukous
The Central African soukous sound with its cool, flowing guitars, effortless musicality and nonstop, upbeat pulse undoubtedly ranks among the best dance music on Earth. Originating in Zaire (today the...
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Brass High: An interview with Hackney Colliery Band
From the ashes of Britain’s deconstructed colliery tradition has risen a new, “tongue in cheek” twist on the brass band. iCrates spoke to Steve Pretty, trumpeter and co-composer of the Hackney...
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“Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares” and 4AD Label
The Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares project (“The Magic of Bulgarian Voices”) represented the chance meeting of unlikely worlds, generations and individuals from disparate parts of the European...
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Contemporary Protest Music in the United States of America: A Critical View
Pick any demonstration in New York City and there will be a group of bedraggled old men with boom boxes, playing The Clash and The Sex Pistols as loud as they can. There may even be a black flag...
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Spirituals on Vinyl
The darkest chapters of a people’s history sometimes evince the size of their spirit. More so when the chapters are recorded not in prose but in verse and song. The spirituals accrued by slaves in...
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How to start your own record label: A step-by-step guide
You may dream of being the manager of a great rock band – well, since the music industry is so down, you’ll have to do it on our own. Start your own record company! Here are some guidelines for real...
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