thefreethinkingmovement
2024 closed out with me pretty much mainlining McCartney. One show in Manchester, two in London, and a soundcheck thrown in. The year ended on about as much of a musical high as you could get. It was a year where I decided to step back from streaming as much (my Spotify wrapped was ‘sparse’). […]
Well, that was an emotional ride. I didn’t make it to Glastonbury – boo! I did see loads of live music – yay! And, I wasn’t prepared for the impact of ‘Now and Then’, the final song by The Beatles. It knocked me for six. Sleaford Mods released a version of ‘West End Girls’ which […]
Some years, there are just too many to choose from. 2022 has been agonising, with superb new releases from established bands and newcomers alike. This was a year where we’ve really plugged back in. Where live music returned with force. Where joy, connection, optimism and compassion were common themes. That said, the best album of […]
These pages started over a decade ago. The original intent was for the freethinking movement to sit alongside a club night, operating every week in NYC. My mate Jamison, AKA DJ Prestige, and I kicked it all off and it was a blast. As I sit to compile my top ten albums of 2021 – […]
As we entered 2020, I expected the year to be overshadowed by political uncertainty; Brexit turmoil on this side of the Atlantic, and a nation taking a long, hard look at the socio-political fabric falling apart over in the US. And, while this was a fairly bleak view, I was longing for musicians to respond […]
I’ve been building up to this. freethinking nyc started about ten years ago. From the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and eventually across the East River to Williamsburg in Brooklyn, freethinking nyc was a proudly different kind of night. The sounds of 70s soul would cosy up next to Mancunian industrial post-punk and innovative electronica. […]
It’s good to be back. I missed writing these pages. More to the point, I missed drinking music in at every possible opportunity. I’d become lazy. I was waiting for music to move me, as opposed to hunting it down. Maybe it’s that I no longer live around the corner from Rough Trade NYC. Maybe […]
Liines. It’s their fault. Let me explain. While I was away, getting on with ‘real life’, I managed to let discovering new music slip down my priority list. It’s not that I didn’t bother at all, but I became pretty much reliant on the one source that I said I wasn’t going to dip into: […]
Here we are at the start of a new decade. And, here we are with a relaunched site and a new look for the freethinking movement. Refreshed, and ready to dive in. I’m looking forward to further re-invigorating these pages, and discovering more music… There’s no better way to breathe some life back into the […]
Look, I know it’s nearly the end of January. But, hands up if you’ve just spent the last few weeks moving house. I hope that you’ll give me a break in this being possibly the latest ‘best of 2018’ list out there, but I didn’t want to ignore an entire year’s worth of music. While […]
If you’re going to pay homage to Prince, do it right. Janelle Monáe has nailed it (admittedly, with a little help from the Purple Genius himself). On the strength of this, ‘Dirty Computer’ will be one of the releases of 2018. Built around a guitar lick that nods in the direction of ‘Kiss’, and synth […]
There’s a scene in Curb Your Enthusiasm where Larry, looking perplexed, walks into a coffee shop. He’s struggling with what to order… the choice is so vast. After some reflection, he settles on a ‘vanilla bullshit’. Too much choice can be a bad thing. Access to a wide range of options limits your scope – […]