If you have been reading TBW for a while, then you would have picked up how much I’m enjoying what has been coming out of the Brighton Port Authority (BPA) (Myspace) stables recently (since October last year, with the Database remix of Toe Jam). The originals are always good, and some of the remixes have been amazing, and thanks to the kind folk at BigMethod we have some BPA CDs to give away.
If you want a copy, then either email (competitions@thebluewalrus.com) or post in the comments with what you think …

‘Arc Light’ | Album 30th March 2009
‘Wintermoon’ | Digital Single 23rd March 2009
Twice winners of BEST GROUP at the Radio 2 Folk Awards (2008/2009), Lau are back with their highly anticipated second album, ‘Arc Light’, released March 30th 2009 on Navigator Records (still a young label but firmly establishing itself with a roster which also includes: Bellowhead, Faustus, Under One Sky, Jon Boden, Chris Wood et al.)
The follow up to their hit debut, ‘Lightweights and Gentlemen’, ‘Arc Light’ is Lau at their very best. A collection of self-penned tunes …

After inadvertently booking tickets to see Noah And The Whale two nights in a row this week, I made a startling discovery of a relatively unknown but absolutely fantastic alternative artist who calls himself Jay Jay Pistolet. He’s currently touring with Noah And The Whale on their seductively artistic and uniquely thematic Club Silencio tour, and at least on the first two nights of the tour, seemed to be a real crowd pleaser. Like Laura Marling, Jay Jay Pistolet is another production output of Noah And The Whale frontman Charlie …

Folk sensation Jon Boden is the definition of cool as I approach the green room of London’s The Luminaire on a cold Wednesday evening. As he finishes a discussion with a member of the crew about where he should go for dinner (an Italian round the corner, if you wondered), he flashes my partner and me a down-to-earth and believably genuine smile. The most striking thing to first notice about Jon are his charming good looks, and he starts talking, it becomes clear that everything about him oozes effortless charisma, …