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Channel: Wales Music - James McLaren
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Welsh Music Prize 2011

Over the years various Welsh music awards have been set up, with varying degrees of good intention; I enjoyed their hospitality and applauded the winners of such categories as 'Best Live Venue (Under...

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Crunch 2011 at Hay-on-Wye

The line-up for next month's Crunch Festival (18-20 November) has been announced, with an eclectic range of artists joining the Hay event. British Sea Power Some of the music highlights include Abi,...

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Blowing my own trumpet: music and euphemism

The news today that radio stations are to be given extra guidance to avoid playing sexually-explicit songs got me thinking about euphemism in pop music and the seemingly diminishing art of cloaking the...

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Shelter Cymru celebrates 30 years with concert

Three titans of Welsh music are joining Shelter Cymru this month to celebrate the homelessness charity's 30th anniversary. Bryn Terfel Bryn Terfel, Cerys Matthews and Rebecca Evans are performing at...

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Katherine Jenkins tackles online bully

As Anti Bullying Week gets going, one of Wales' biggest stars has confronted an online tormentor. Katherine Jenkins Katherine Jenkins has revealed that she has been the victim of bullying by someone on...

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The Tricky issue of the man from Busted

People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. I know this, and writing this blog is potentially very dangerous because 'there but for the grace of god go I'. Last weekend The Daily Mirror published a...

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Welsh DJ's Welsh connection

Joanna Ranson, a dance music journalist who's an occasional contributor to BBC Wales Music, came to me a few months ago with some interesting information about a link-up between a Welsh DJ and a...

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Wakestock 2012 stays in Wales

After some reports that the Wakestock festival would leave Wales for the south west of England, organisers have announced that the music and wakeboarding festival will be returning to its Abersoch site...

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Newport's TJ's venue goes back to auction

Newport's TJ's will go under the hammer for the second time next month, following the withdrawal of previous buyers who had planned to turn the historic music venue into a restaurant. TJ's venue in...

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Death Of A Polaroid signing at Waterstones, Cardiff

Manic Street Preachers bassist Nicky Wire was at Cardiff's Waterstones last week to sign copies of Death Of A Polaroid, the band's paean to a passing art form. I asked Jarrad Owens, editor of...

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Jodie Marie on the road with Will Young

Old timers familiar with the Verve record label will be interested to hear of a new Welsh singer who's been chosen to front the relaunched imprint, now part of Decca and therefore owned by Universal....

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Green Man sets record for 'early bird' tickets

Fans of alt/indie music and beards last week snapped up Green Man's 10% allocation of 'early bird' tickets in just 45 minutes. The annual festival, held near Crickhowell, will take place on 17-19...

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Gruff Rhys' Atheist Xmas EP

Gruff Rhys, sometime Super Furry Animal and recent recipient of the inaugural Welsh Music Prize, has announced details of a singularly non-god-bothery Christmas release entitled the Atheist Xmas EP....

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Radiohead's Ed O'Brien leads session for music students and enterprises in...

Radiohead's Ed O'Brien comes to Wales tomorrow to talk about his life in music and give advice to would-be professional musicians. Ed O'Brien. Photo: Neil Lupin/Redferns The guitarist will take to the...

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George Michael Cardiff gigs postponed

Singer George Michael has been forced to postpone two concerts in Cardiff this week after being admitted to hospital. George Michael The former Wham! frontman and solo star was due to play the city's...

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Bethlehem Village Band's traditional Christmas

In the run-up to Christmas many festive albums will be released, but one from Wales contains a more unusual set of songs than most. The Bethlehem Band The Bethlehem Village Band, based in the west...

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Kelly Jones' musical tribute to Gary Speed

Stereophonics' Kelly Jones has recorded a special acoustic version of a Welsh football terrace classic for tonight's Sport Wales (10pm, BBC Two Wales), in tribute to the late Wales international...

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BBC Sound of 2012's lack of Welsh voices

The BBC Sound of 2012 shortlist of 12 nominees has been announced, and as usual there are no Welsh nominees (Marina And The Diamonds being the last in 2010). It's a thought I have every year when this...

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Mary Hopkin's Christmas Songs EP

Welsh music legend Mary Hopkin has released her Christmas Songs EP via digital outlets. The three-song release brings together the traditional songs Mary Had A Baby and Cherry Tree Carol with Mary's...

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Lost Welsh classics: The Table - Do The Standing Still

The other day I was introduced to a 1977 song by Welsh band The Table, called Do The Standing Still. Not quite punk, not quite new wave and not quite anything else, it had a brilliant effervescent...

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