Music news

• ‘It’s so alien' folk collective Heilung on world’s oldest song

  18-08-2022 17:00
  
  Ever since the Germanic-Nordic group met at a Viking re-enactment society, they have aimed to ‘amplify history’ – powered by lavish costumes and knowing theatricalityAbout 300,000 years ago (give or take a few millennia), the human larynx dropped downwards, an evolutionary advance as vital in separating us from the apes as the development of opposable thumbs and a large cerebral cortex. It meant that our throats got larger, which enabled us to extend the sounds we could make be
  
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• Arab Strap: ‘We’re the last generation that could get drunk without someone filming us’

  18-08-2022 15:40
  
  The mordant Scottish duo answer your queries about retirement and reformation, watching (but not dancing to) Ed Sheeran and what they would bring to a picnicIf Ed Sheeran offered you a ton of cash to open for him, would you do it? FirstWorlderMalcolm Middleton It wouldn’t even have to be that much money. Aidan’s a big fan: he went to see Ed the other evening at Hampden Park. Continue reading...
  
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• Aitch: Close to Home review | Alexis Petridis's album of the week

  18-08-2022 13:00
  
  (Capitol)
  Referencing the Stone Roses and featuring Shaun Ryder, the Manchester rapper’s debut album stops short of a second coming – but it pushes his musical boundaries and subverts traditional hip-hop narrativesAt the time of writing, the face of Harrison Armstrong – better known as Aitch – stares down from bus shelters around Britain advertising Lynx deodorant. You can snigger at this development if you like – it’s hardly Jay-Z endorsing luxury Swiss watch
  
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• ‘I was extinguished by men in suits’: Darren Hayes on surviving homophobia – and finding happiness

  18-08-2022 11:00
  
  Watching the rise of younger gay pop stars, the 50-year-old former Savage Garden singer felt grief for the youth he never had. He speaks about coming out, his mental health struggles and returning to musicGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailOn the cover of his new album, Darren Hayes sits proudly behind hot pink neon letters that spell out “Homosexual”. It’s a word that used to scare him, one that was hurled at him as an insult and, now, the title of his first record in
  
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• Was J Cole’s move from hip-hop to pro basketball a mere marketing stunt?

  18-08-2022 10:00
  
  The 37-year-old rapper didn’t make the cut as a college player. So why has he played for two professional teams?The Scarborough Shooting Stars came within a single basket of winning the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) title on Sunday, losing to the Hamilton Honey Badgers by just two points after a run of 17 unanswered in the fourth quarter. Despite their heartbreaking loss, Scarborough’s season should still be considered a success – the team made it to the championship
  
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