Insights, stories, and spotlights from the world of independent music and entertainment.
On August 11, 1973, a teenager in the Bronx threw a back-to-school party and accidentally invented hip-hop. Fifty-three years on, we celebrate DJ Kool Herc — the man who started it all.
Examining Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa through the lens of Laura Mulvey’s male gaze theory and John Berger’s Ways of Seeing — who is looking, and who holds the power?
Laura Mulvey's 'Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema' changed how we think about film forever. Analysing Rear Window and Vertigo through her framework — scopophilia, voyeurism, fetishism, and the three looks that structure how narrative cinema positions the spectator.
Gender is not something we are born with fully formed. It is something we are taught. Exploring how gender norms are constructed, enforced, and challenged — and what Faith Ringgold's We Came to America reveals about identity, race, and resistance.
Madrique Sanders is a hip-hop artist whose music carries weight, wit, and an uncompromising commitment to saying something real. Every bar is deliberate. Every beat choice is a statement.
Born in Spain, raised in Chicago, rooted in Ireland — Sarah McQuaid is one of contemporary folk's most distinctive voices. Her open-tuned guitar work and unhurried, searching songcraft have built a devoted following across three continents.
A Glasgow-born slide guitarist of ferocious energy, Dave Arcari has spent two decades building one of the most distinctive catalogues in contemporary blues — alt.blues that draws from the Delta, rockabilly, and punk, and sounds like nothing else.
A breathtaking collision of the world's biggest electronic dance anthems with a full live orchestra, DJs, and vocalists — Synthony is the live music spectacle rewriting the rules of what a concert can be.
A turntablist, producer, and hip-hop lifer whose decades of dedication to the craft have made him one of the culture's most respected figures. DJ Crazy B is not just part of the culture — he is the culture.
Born Kareem Blake in Toronto, Choclair came up in a scene still finding its footing and helped put Canadian hip-hop on the world map — one bar at a time. SpeakerBox traces the story of one of Canada's most important MCs.
Mark Ramsey Gott's new album That Buddha Shaving Jazz is the latest chapter in a quietly remarkable catalogue — indie pop songwriting built on melody, restraint, and a voice that is entirely his own.
A five-piece whose indie-rock sound has been assembled with patience and precision — tight ensemble playing, dynamic range, and a melodic sensibility that rewards repeated listening.
Before hip-hop had a name, it had a block party in the South Bronx and Joseph Saddler behind two turntables. SpeakerBox traces the story of Grandmaster Flash — the man who invented the Quick Mix Theory and changed music forever.
Since 1991, Mississippi Heat have been one of Chicago's most respected blues bands. Harmonica virtuoso Pierre Lacocque and vocalist Inetta Visor lead a band that plays the tradition with total conviction.
Krazy DJ Bazarro is one of hip hop's most electrifying turntablists — a performer who turns the decks into a full-blown event. This is the story of the artist and the Dysfunkshunal Familee collective behind him.
Warren Malone has spent years building one of the most quietly prolific catalogues in independent music. His latest album, Even If We're Greedy, is the clearest statement yet of what he does best.
Debbi Lisa's Beautiful Darkness is a fully realised creative universe — gothic, atmospheric, emotionally honest music from one of independent music's most compelling voices.
From DJ Kool Herc's breakbeats to Q-Bert's virtuoso turntablism — the full story of scratching, the instrument that hip-hop invented and the world could not ignore.
Part B Boy, part Beethoven — Thee Phantom & the Illharmonic Orchestra is the original hip-hop orchestra, taking the culture from Philadelphia's Kimmel Center to Carnegie Hall and beyond.
An artist who lives the music he makes — Mic Mountain is a hip hop rapper whose work is rooted in lived experience, raw honesty, and an unshakeable love for the culture.
A rapper, lyricist, and creative force who has never compromised his vision — Bruse Wane builds his reputation the old-fashioned way, through relentless work, sharp pen game, and a commitment to the culture.
British-born and Canadian by choice, Andrew Gillies has spent his career navigating both worlds with intelligence and craft — a performer who carries two cultures within him and brings both to every role.
With a career spanning more than four decades, Joe Cortese has built a body of work that reflects extraordinary range and an unwavering commitment to the craft — from gritty crime dramas to heartfelt stage productions.
FTD affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain and is the second leading cause of dementia. An in-depth look at its causes, symptoms, diagnosis challenges, and impact on caregivers.
Independent musicians are no longer waiting for a seat at the table — they are building their own. From bedroom studios to global fanbases, the revolution is here.
Two groundbreaking artists who challenged traditional notions of representation, gender, and power — and walked right into the men's clubhouse and brought it down.
By questioning the linear canon of art history, we reveal deep biases — and discover how women like Frida Kahlo, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Artemisia Gentileschi helped reshape the art world.
Are older men taking control of their health? It certainly seems so. From social media to the gym floor, men over 40 are putting younger generations to shame — and they've got the pictures to prove it.
Forget the major label tour bus. A new generation of artists is booking their own shows, building their own audiences, and keeping every penny of the door.
With streaming platforms hungry for content and audiences craving authenticity, short-form indie filmmakers are having their moment — and it's long overdue.
From Glasgow to Glasgow, artists are turning blank walls into conversation starters. We look at the murals making headlines and the people behind the paint.
Record Store Day numbers are up, pressing plants are backlogged, and a new generation of listeners is discovering the warmth of analogue sound. We dig into the revival.
After hundreds of conversations with artists across every genre, Helen St. Helen shares the questions she always asks — and the ones she never does.
From headliners to hidden gems on the second stage, our guide to the artists worth rearranging your schedule for this festival season.
