Drew Spencer

Spotify Playlist: In Defence of Kanye West

Forget everything else, it’s all about the music

Ever since it emerged, hip hop has sampled songs to create new songs. Be it a loop just a few seconds long or a reworked entire chorus, there’s no denying that samples are the lifeblood of the genre. The process of sampling is one that has fascinated…

Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival 2010

Ethos of Highland festival ensures audience loyalty

The Tartan Heart Festival is a special festival. From humble beginnings in 2004, Belladrum, as it’s more commonly known (after the estate it is held on), has grown and grown. Word got out and word spread fast; so much so that 2010 was its second sell…

Exposure: Roses Kings Castles

Roses Kings Castles - brought to you by Adam Ficek. Recognise the name? Adam is also the drummer with a little know band called Babyshambles. Roses Kings Castles is Adam’s solo project that allows him to explore his own musicality and stretch his…

Exposure: Boycotts

Through circumstance, Charles Boycott unwittingly gave birth the term as the result of Irish land reform policies. Nearly 130 years later, his name is lent to something much more thrilling. Josef K, Hardcore Dave and Dragon provide the exciting…

Exposure: Duke Special

Duke Special, 28, is a Belfast based maestro with a special talent for making magical haunting music. His third album, I Never Thought This Day Would Come, was released at the end of last year with 2009 shaping up to be another exciting one for the Duke…

Exposure: xvectors

Like to dance to so-called dance music? Feel like the current musical environment it letting you down? Make your own! Back in 2003, that’s exactly what Rory, David, Paul and Jon did - and they’ve been doing so ever since. Not only did this Edinburgh…

Exposure: Mitchell Museum

With no ‘Do Not Touch’ signs in sight, Mitchell Museum are one museum you’re going to have a hell of a time going to see. With Cammy MacFarlane on keyboard and lead vocals, Dougie Kennedy on guitar, Kris Ferguson on bass and a man known simply as…

Exposure: Ya’ll is Fantasy Island

When something ends a void is left, waiting for something new. So it was that when Chuck Norris Machine ended back in 2005, Ya’ll is Fantasy Island rose from it’s ashes. Headed up by Adam Stafford, the band is made up of Tommy Blair (Guitarist), Steven…

How to Lose Friends & Alienate People - Hot Press

Simon Pegg’s Sidney Young is the latest in a long list of big screen journalists holding the front page with a sensational scoop. The daddy of them all, 1941’s Citizen Kane, has Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles) driving everyone mental banging on about…