Two things this week that have nothing in common, other than that I love them and that you should at least learn to like them.
They are peeved New Yorkers White Hills and the exceptionally pretty Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara. We’ll start with the angry ones. White Hills have a new album out this month which is called Hp-1, which according to band member Ego, is symbolic of the simplification of complex ideas to keep the masses from questioning the system. The sleeve for the album, a fairly colourless and sad affair, is meant to represent the status quo that WH are trying to tear through with their guitar riffs. H-p1 sounds at times like pretty standard rock stuff but it’s when shit starts getting all sci-fi that I begin to dig. Good music for the coming festival season and, dare I say it, kicking a few shop windows through to.
Last week I saw Fatoumata Diawara play a very short gig, at a strangely early hour in the basement of pub full of drunk businessmen and it was great. She stood on her own in a corner with just a guitar and a voice, played only four songs and then got the audience to accompany her in singing goodbye. My life is better for those ten minutes.
Download a free Fatoumata Diawara track here.
Tom Ravenscroft’s radio show is on BBC 6 Music at 9pm every Friday
Content from our partners
Related
