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James Poole recommendations

Folk: don’t write it off

I have a confession to make: I like folk music. Stop, come back. Let me explain… A couple of things this week have prompted me to share this insight. First of all, interspersed in the World Cup coverage on ESPN in the US is a new advert for AT&T. I was shocked when I heard […]

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defining freethinking James Poole recommendations

BBC 6 Music: make the most of it

I’m not sure that I’ve ever felt so passionate about a radio station. This is a big statement from someone who used to run one (albeit a student station). The news of the potential (likely, even) closure of BBC 6 Music came as a shock to me when it first broke in March this year. […]

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James Poole recommendations

Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip: the saviours of UK hip-hop?

Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip. If you haven’t heard of them, do yourself a favour: check them out immediately. Representing the acceptable face of UK hip-hop, this is an act with more depth, creativity and intelligence than the vast majority of artists out there. They have the balls to sample Radiohead – and get […]

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James Poole recommendations

The raw emotion of Gil Scott-Heron

Gil Scott-Heron. I feel almost ashamed that it’s taken me until now to write about him. His is a singular talent. He is almost the dictionary definition of a freethinker. Let me start with his latest album. A liner note asks that you listen to the album ‘for the first time under optimum conditions’. I […]

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James Poole recommendations

A hip-hop celebration of punk

The King Blues. Heard of them? No, I hadn’t either until a few weeks ago. So much music, so little time… I was recently put onto The King Blues by a mate of mine who was visiting from the UK (cheers, Mark). One listen to ‘What If Punk Never Happened’, and I was taken. The […]

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James Poole

Beyond eleven

Loud concerts can sometimes be bloody wonderful. Case #1: the Happy Mondays during their ‘we reformed for tax purposes’ gigs at the Brixton Academy. Bloody marvellous. They were a complete shambles on stage. Never ones to be known for their musical prowess – it didn’t matter. They made up for it – as they did […]

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freethinking nyc James Poole recommendations

Closing the night

The freethinking ethos was loud and clear during volume 3. Genuinely, I don’t know where else you would hear Run DMC, Heaven 17, Sade, Dizzy Gillespie, Friendly Fires and Delphic all in one night. Throw in a Nat Cole tune to close the evening, and I think you’ve got something special. Nat Cole’s ‘Sweet Lorraine’ […]

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James Poole

No more fun

I really didn’t like them at first. This is quite a big thing to admit, and looking back, I simply can’t justify it at all. Every now and then, you’re just plain wrong. And here I am admitting it, in a big way. Supergrass is no more. The end of monkey pop. The end of […]

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James Poole recommendations

The best band you’ve never heard of

You’ve probably missed this. My guess is that the music press is barely going to take notice. The NME won’t be screaming a headline, celebrating the tenth studio album of one of the most outstanding contributors to British music over the last 30 years. It’ll go without note – just as the majority of their […]

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defining freethinking freethinking nyc James Poole

Interesting music

‘What kind of music do you play?’ A common, and completely understandable question from people hearing about freethinking nyc – our Thursday club nights at Kush. It’s actually a really tough question to answer. Saying ‘good music’ really doesn’t capture it. Likewise, a straightforward genre response only scratches the surface. We’ll play 80s electronica up […]

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defining freethinking James Poole

Broadening horizons

1993. I scarcely believe that it was that long ago that I was dropped off by my parents at university. A naïve, fresher-faced, significantly slimmer (a ‘lanky streak of piss’ is one way of putting it) version of me. And I had bad jeans. I envy this streak of piss on a regular basis. Yes, […]

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DJ Prestige freethinking nyc James Poole

Thursday DJ nights in NYC: freethinking nyc

Volume 2 of freethinking nyc took place at Kush last night. The idea is simple: 2 DJs playing a genre-spanning set of music that you would not normally hear in a club setting. It’s not just about the same thumping hip hop, or chart pop. There’s some great music out there, that if given the […]