R2 - New issue 33 In The Shops Now!

R2 Cover The May/June issue of R2 Magazine is in the shops now. Grammy Award winning duo The Civil Wars celebrate the release of their new album Barton Hollow with an appearance on the cover. Whilst inside you will find interviews and features with Bonnie Raitt, The Chieftans, The Levellers, Carolina Chocolate Drops and much, much more.

All this, plus our extensive review section, regular features and a free cover CD for only £3.95!

You can buy on line (or better still take out a year's subscription) from our partners at Terra Nova Music

Hillfolk Noir

Hillfolk Noir describe themselves as '100% original Junkerdash'. If, like me, you don't have a clue what that means, then worry not as the highly acclaimed four piece from Boise, Idaho hit the UK in June for a series of dates.

Friday, June 1: Birnam Arts Centre, Perthshire
Sat 2: Evolution Festival, The Central, Gateshead
Sun 3: Memorial Institute, Moniaive
Tues 5: The Old Library, Kilbarchan
Wed 6: Douglas Robertson’s Studio, Edinburgh
Thurs 7: Woodlands Hotel, Broughty Ferry
Fri 8: The Blue Lamp, Aberdeen
Sat 9: Eden Court Theatre, Inverness
Sun 10: The Catstrand Arts Centre, New Galloway
Tues 12: Stereo, Glasgow
Wed 13: Eastgate Theatre, Peebles
Thurs 14: Acoustic Music Club, Kirkcaldy
Fri 15: Saltburn Community Theatre, Saltburn-by-the Sea
Sat 16: Lazy Bishops Music Festival, Farnham, Surrey
Mon 18: Norwich Arts Centre
Tues 19: The Musician, Leicester
Wed 20: The Green Note, London
Thurs 21: Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar, Brighton
Fri 22: Square and Compass, Worth Matravers

In the meantime check out this YouTube clip, which, if I am not mistaken features the oft ignored musical saw.

It Does Get Better

Friends of R2 Magazine O'Tooley and Tidow have contributed piano and vocals to a new single released to raise money to combat homophobic bullying in school. Please help this project by buying the single.

Meanwhile the duo are currently gallivanting around the country in support of their latest release The Fragile - tour dates can be found on the newly designed O'Tooley and Tidow website.

Last Shop Standing

Based on the successful book by Graham Jones of the same name, Last Shop Standing will be a 60-minute documentary to be released in the summer of 2012. It will be a celebration of the unique spirit of comradeship and entrepreneurial ingenuity that has enabled so many shops to keep operating successfully against the backdrop of massive changes in the music industry, the biggest recession in years, the growth of online file sharing, and the explosion of choice in music consumption.

The film features appearances by musicians and industry insiders including Norman Cook AKA 'Fat Boy Slim', Billy Bragg and Richard Hawley with more to be announced, but the real stars are the record shop owners, with hysterical anecdotes about their customers, both the weird and the wonderful.