Incredible string band

At the end of last week, I watched the new film by Olivier Assayas, which has been called Something In The Air in England, though its original French title – Après Mai – arguably feels a little more evocative.

Underground, overground: two subversive major label salvos from New York’s folk-punk-poets. Of their time, sure, but still worth yours...

The freak-folk messiah confronts pop conventions on his first album for a major label

True grit! The desert-bluesers’ fourth is raw, and all the better for it

Perhaps as a response to the American psych-folk scene, over the past few years there’ve been a handful of British bands who’ve sought to channel the late-‘60s/early-‘70s folk-rock scene. Most of them, unfortunately, have been more or less worthy but misfiring. Trembling Bells, though, are a big exception.

US folk siren adds muscle to her delicate songcraft

Remastered recordings dust off the crowning glories of English folk’s Indian summer

The man who brought Captain Beefheart to the UK has died aged 59

On Monday night, I went to the launch of the 2007 Reading Festival – or the Carling Weekend: Reading And Leeds Festivals, as the dual event is now called – which, as you’ll probably know is headlined this year by The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins and Razorlight, with Arcade Fire, Kings Of Leon and Nine Inch Nails featuring prominently among the supporting line-up.

4CD connoisseur collection of rare mercurial magic from British folk/blues/jazz supergroup