THE PLAYLIST

War impacts art. We see this in movie adaptations, books, paintings and in this case music. As war currently rages in Europe, I turn my gaze back to a time when conflict left its mark on society and created a time capsule of spirited…

What if The Beatles walked into Abbey Road to record a final album? It's a question that has abounded through the circles of Beatles fans for over half-a-century. If we imagine The Beatles 13th album into existence, what songs would have…

Some songs make an artist instantly recognisable. Such as hearing the rebirth and re-release of Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill'. We hear that song, and we know it is Kate, it has become a signature song for the artist, one which…

"My fellow Americans, I’m pleased to tell you today that I’ve signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.” - Ronald Reagan It always happens, art reflects anxiety. At this time of upheaval,…

In 1965 the prototypical "It Girl", Edie Sedgwick, attached herself to Andy Warhol and, at the same time, pop-art history. She is both the beauty and the tragedy of celebrity culture. The would-be model entered Warhol's Factory with a…

Music is great therapy. It eases stress, helps to allay fears, and combats boredom all at once—and during these unsure times, every little helps. While there is no perfect formula for a playlist to soothe the lockdown anxiety that the…

"Someone must have blessed us when he gave us those songs…" New Yorker James Richard Steinman, more commonly known as Jim Steinman, is the zeitgeist figure of AOR (album-oriented rock). Steinman exploded onto the music scene in 1977,…

The name Robert Johnson is synonymous with blues music. His influence is cast across rock music, and almost every guitarist that sprung up in the Blues Explosion of the '60s vibrates with his technique. Guitarists like Jimmy Page, Eric…

"Did you know that Ted Bundy's first dog was a collie named Lassie?" — Patrick Bateman Do psychopaths have the best taste in music? Who knows, but it certainly seems the case when it comes to the movie adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis's…

This summer, the revolutionary voice of Bob Dylan returned to Ireland as a part of his endless tour of the globe. It is fair to say Bob Dylan lit the fuse for the anti-establishment voice that still burns today, becoming an architect,…