It's comforting discovering that woodwind players are the radicals in an orchestra, and the flautists are away with the faeries.

BBC Radio 3 In Tune Now Playing Ralph Vaughan Williams, Hallé & Sir Mark Elder Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis

Post some zen to the feed

A rare transcendental gig experience on Tuesday night: harmonium, bowed hammer dulcimer, bowed double bass & Lisa O'Neill on nylon strung guitar. For a brief period everything slowed & elevated. What a sound.

And if that isn't enough of a draw, it's a seated auditorium.

Due to circumstances etc... I have a spare ticket for Lisa O'Neill tonight at the Lighthouse in Poole. Free to a good home.

It's good, but it isn't a dying boiler playing Brötzmann

Share an album that was important to you when you were nineteen.

RIP Ralph. Time to give this a listen. youtu.be/Fi16V8v_J4Y?...

Post an image you can hear

The last track, Blues For The Great Refreshing Earth Bodhisattva, is particularly stunning. Fans of France will enjoy.

“Rising, streetcar, four hours in the office or the factory, meal, streetcar, four hours of work, meal, sleep, and Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday and Saturday according to the same rhythm..." Camus - The Myth of Sisyphus Few other works have so readily captured its quotidian wonder.

Sunday Roundup. 10 Bands/Artists I listened to this week. - Jim Ghedi - Marta Del Grandi - Philip Glass - Brigitte Fontaine - Mary Jane Leach - Water Damage - Jesse Blake Rundle - Leroi Conroy - guguo - Ben McElroy

My wife has filed her tax return, which we will celebrate in the traditional manner by watching the first episode of Black Books.

Re-reading the original liner notes to Joanna Brouke's Hearing Music. Mood enhancing. I had to take out the first three minutes of Healing Music because all I did was touch F# major (two below C) on the piano and I would just listen and I’d listen and I’d listen... numerogroup.com/blogs/storie...

BBC Radio 3 Night Tracks Now Playing Trad., Ronn McFarlane, Carolyn Surrick & Jackie Moran She Moved Through the Fair - John Barleycorn

What's your sign?

This is a charming Popol Vuh reminiscence, with what sounds like an Optigan playing a role.

All enslaved to the fascist

Post a picture of the venue where you saw your first concert and name the band or artist. Killing Joke supported by Ellery Bop, Southampton Guildhall Feb 1985. The mosh pit broke the floor & I was hearing impaired for three days.

Juni Habel has announced new album Evergreen In Your Mind, with eponymous teaser track now available. The follow up to 2023's entrancing Carvings LP. junihabel.bandcamp.com/album/evergr...

My list of favourite guitarists is coming together at a leisurely pace... Meanwhile here's a video of Joe Pass & Oscar Peterson... youtu.be/EpmVVIRXhzw?...

Some of my favourite albums from 2025 -

Favourite gig in a strong year was Ryley Walker at the Joiners (with the excellent Sam Grassie supporting). Superb performances.

Hearing that the markets are moving for the Guardian's #1 AOTY and the smart money is going on Bongripper's Live at Soulcrusher. youtu.be/nbAItzzemgI?...

Name the last song you’ve heard Going through my favourite albums of the year, one of the reasons I love this is that it reminds me of Mammoth-era Pelican. youtu.be/nbAItzzemgI?...

Oh Dave...

On this day in 1983, on John Peel's show, I first heard the record that blew my 15 year old mind and changed my listening habits overnight. The first song Gina Birch wrote, and it's still stunning. The Raincoats - No One's Little Girl youtu.be/I6Gcia4ouKs?...

Bandcamp Friday haul, excellent all

R3 improving everyone's Sunday with some Herb.

In one week's time in Southampton! Top off your Saturday at that massive Ikea, and come my gig at Heartbreakers! Tickets here: www.seetickets.com/event/gwenif... Or follow the links in bio..............

The season of foggy glasses has arrived.

Eric Coates being prolific as usual. The Brian Eno of his time, he created the daily startup music for the BBC, Associated-Rediffusion, Associated-TV London and TV Wales & The West.

Crowd shot from last night's kneecap gig.

Saw Sports Team in Pompey tonight, guitarist was wearing a 'Family Cat, all other bands are Dogshite' T Shirt, haven't seen one of those for many years. Impressed.

Going on a road trip & taking these friends old & new along for the ride.

BBC Radio 3 Music Planet Now Playing Širom Wilted Superstition Engaged in Copulation

Chosen by Billy Bragg this was an astonishing listen, couldn't work out from which religion it came.

The Quest by Alli Blois & The Orange County Shred Centre Alli has a fine voice not dissimilar to Juni Habel, and closing track 'The Chalice Song' is an uplifting portmanteau paean to wine and celebratory sing along. This is grailcore. halloweenonraspberryhillrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-qu...

Still pinching myself at being invited to the most iconic music venue on the south coast to interview the man who makes it all tick, and what funding from the Music Venues Trust will mean for all involved. Please share, not for my benefit, but for the sake of all small independent music venues.

It’s basically crap that the king has ‘private income’, which will now sustain the ghastly Andrew. He gets about £25m a year from the Duchies which were appropriated by the crown from previous owners and today not taxed. Basically theft or paid for by taxpayers like everything else they took.

Saw this for the first time only quite recently. "I'm taking the microphones to pay for the damage to my axe" #FallFriday youtu.be/1totDTfuMQg?...

Interview with Dave Pearce of Flying Saucer Attack (by David Keenan for Bomb Magazine, 2015) taking about In Search of Spaces:

really enjoying this -

Cooking the Sunday roast with this perfect accompaniment -

TWP, 40 years in the business. I've Stockholm Syndromed my wife with a few bands, most successful of which has been The Wedding Present (gateway drug was Cinerama), to the extent that a few years ago she gave me this.

#strings&drones today. Catching up with back issues of Late Junction and sometimes you hear a piece that just stops you in your tracks. This is quite something. Thank you Jennifer Lucy Allan, great track selections on this show. youtu.be/V9aJlC0Eueg?...