Graeme Thomson

The most exciting live band in Britain right now: Young Fathers, at the O2 Academy, reviewed

18 March 2023 9:00 am

There are several reasons why Young Fathers currently feel like the most exciting live band in Britain, but for now…

His nasal American-Yorkshire voice struggles to convince: Yungblud, at OVO Hydro, reviewed

4 March 2023 9:00 am

Even before albums became bloated, thanks to the largesse offered by CDs and streaming, most contained filler: those so-so songs…

Down with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!

18 February 2023 9:00 am

There is footage on the internet of Robert Smith, lead singer in the Cure, being interviewed on the occasion of…

Two of Scotland’s most inventive solo musicians: Fergus McCreadie, Maeve Gilchrist + Mr McFall’s Quartet reviewed

4 February 2023 9:00 am

Folk is the Schiphol of Scottish music. Eventually, every curious traveller passes through. From arena rockers to rappers, traditional music…

Beautiful bleakness crowned with slivers of hope: John Cale’s Mercy reviewed

18 January 2023 10:00 pm

There’s a case to be made for John Cale being the most daring ex-member of the Velvet Underground. Lou Reed…

Not everything Bowie did was genius – he was more interesting than that

7 January 2023 9:00 am

I’m generally not a fan of New Year’s resolutions, but one occurred to me recently as the younger members of…

Christmas songs that will reduce your gas bills

17 December 2022 9:00 am

It’s unlikely that Irving Berlin was pondering the energy price cap when he composed the seasonal standard ‘I’ve Got My…

The art of protest songs

3 December 2022 9:00 am

Like A-ha after an extensive rewilding process: Sigur Ros, at Usher Hall, reviewed

26 November 2022 9:00 am

Plus: it’s quite clear that MUNA are going to be huge What is it with Icelanders and mushrooms? Just weeks…

The joy of B-sides

12 November 2022 9:00 am

Paul Weller releasing a collection of solo B-sides is cause for mild celebration. After all, the Jam were one of…

Compellingly personal arena experience: Bon Iver, at Ovo Hydro, reviewed

29 October 2022 9:00 am

A reliable metric for measuring pop success is hard to find these days, as Michael Hann noted in these pages…

Simple songs; voice like the grand canyon: George Ezra, at OVO Hydra, reviewed

1 October 2022 9:00 am

It would be easy to be a little dismissive of George Ezra. A wholesome late twentysomething hailing from the rock…

The new master of the American Whine: Ezra Furman, at Edinburgh Festival, reviewed

3 September 2022 9:00 am

The American Whine is one of the key vocal registers in rock and roll. You can trace that thin disaffected…

Sensational: Herbie Hancock, at the Edinburgh Festival, reviewed

20 August 2022 9:00 am

‘Human beings are in trouble these days,’ says Herbie Hancock, chatting to us between songs. ‘And do you know who…

She’s pop’s Damien Hirst: Beyoncé’s Renaissance reviewed

6 August 2022 9:00 am

You feel a little sorry for Renaissance, the first solo album by Beyoncé in more than six years. It just…

Only traces of their eerie early spirit remain: Kings of Leon, at OVO Hydro, reviewed

9 July 2022 9:00 am

A few years ago, I spoke to Mick Jagger and asked him which of the (relatively) new crop of rock…

The power of cultural reclamation

18 June 2022 9:00 am

‘Version’ is an old reggae term I’ve always loved. It refers to a stripped-down, rhythm-heavy instrumental mix of a song,…

A joy – mostly: Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets, at Usher Hall, reviewed

14 May 2022 9:00 am

Drummers are patient chaps, in the main. Think of Ringo in Peter Jackson’s recent Beatles docuseries, Get Back. Lolling around…

‘I came, I saw, I scribbled’: Shane MacGowan on Bob Dylan, angels and his lifelong love of art

30 April 2022 9:00 am

Graeme Thomson talks to former Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan about his first art folio

The awfulness of the Red Hot Chili Peppers has always felt weirdly personal

16 April 2022 9:00 am

Squaring up to the prospect of a new Red Hot Chili Peppers album, I’m reminded of a vintage quote by…

Expectations were met and then exceeded: Arooj Aftab, at Celtic Connections, reviewed

19 February 2022 9:00 am

We gathered on a freezing Sunday night, inside a barrel-vaulted church designed in the 1890s by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, to…

A story of reflection and self-discovery: Anaïs Mitchell's new album reviewed

22 January 2022 9:00 am

Any artist who has habitually written or performed in character — from David Bowie to Lady Gaga — eventually arrives…

In praise of seasonal chart fodder

18 December 2021 9:00 am

Christmas: the most vulnerable time of the year. I heard ‘A Winter’s Tale’ by David Essex on the radio the…

The quiet radicalism of the Chieftains

27 November 2021 9:00 am

Pop quiz time: which act was named Melody MakerGroup of the Year in 1975? The answer is not, as you…

The sound of a hunch coming good

13 November 2021 9:00 am

Graeme Thomson talks to the cult singer Joan Wasser about the robotic nature of pop, finding salvation in songwriting and Tony Allen