The Vaselines Reunite

The Vaselines (photo by Wattie Cheung)

The Vaselines were persona non grata in the US when the late Kurt Cobain called them his favorite songwriters. Cult status was instantaneous, but the band had already dissolved. After a 20 year hiatus, the Scottish pop duo has reunited, though not remarried. On last weekend’s show, Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee told Kurt what brought them back together — and they played songs from their new album Sex With an X.

You can hear their conversation with Kurt here:

Read Full Post »

360 Staff Pick: Angelique Kidjo

Oyo

Angelique Kidjo

On her new album the Beninoise singer-songwriter hops back and forth between traditional West African tunes and western pop (she covers Curtis Mayfield’s “Move On Up” and James Brown’s “Cold Sweat,” among others). And while some listeners may prefer that she tighten her focus a bit, there’s no denying the joy and soulfulness of her fresh rhythms.

–Cary Barbor

Under your little tin-steepled imitation of civilization, for wh

Read Full Post »

V.V. Brown’s Travelling Like the Light

After making a splash in Europe, the delightful V.V. Brown releases her first album, Travelling Like the Light, in the U.S. today.

And she’ll perform a set at the Apple Store in Soho tonight at 7 p.m. (It’s free!)

Not in New York City? You can still see V.V. play live. She stopped by Studio 360 in February and performed the track “Crying Blood:”

You can download that live track at Studio 360’s website.

“Good art comes from being open-minded. And for me,” says the U.K.-based child of a Jamaican mother and Puerto Rican father, “that’s an international thing.” Listen to V.V. and Kurt’s full conversation here:

[AUDIO=http://audio.wnyc.org/studio/studio022610f.mp3]

—Cary Barbor

Read Full Post »

UK Soul Invasion

Another British invasion is underway. Almost fifty years after The Beatles, The Stones, and The White Queen of Soul found their way to American shores, a group of talented young ladies is grabbing the spotlight.

This week, V.V. Brown stopped by Studio 360 to chat with Kurt and play a few live songs with her band. Brown’s driving rhythms and retro-soul style are already topping the charts in Europe, and she’s set to begin a U.S. tour next month.

Here she performs her big single, “Shark in the Water” in our studio:

And if you like V.V. Brown, be sure to give a listen to another young English musician: Rox. She also fuses soul, jazz, and pop influences, but still manages to sound fresh and original. Maybe that’s because of something else they have in common: both Brown and Rox have a Jamaican parent, and both say they draw musical inspiration and confidence from their family traditions.  Their songs are bouncy and upbeat, but don’t let that fool you. The lyrics and the music possess real depth. Watch Rox’s video for “My Baby Left Me” (the single officially drops March 15), and see for yourself:

– Michael Guerriero

Read Full Post »