Postmodern philosophy greatly impacted countercultural music of the 1960’s, 70’s and early 80’s. This is because postmodern and countercultural thinkers shared the view that the preceding modernism was a heavily flawed construct. They saw modernism as a philosophy which promoted grand narratives, conformity, and 20th-century war-driven ideologies such as fascism and the Cold War.

Outspoken and defiant queer singer-songwriter from Boston, MØNA's released their newest single ‘Fairy Tale’ on the 19th August. ‘Fairy Tale’ is a brand new otherworldly and upbeat song that challenges traditional storybook stereotypes.

 The perspective of needing to be a damsel in distress and awaiting a rescue is abolished by MØNA.  Holding female empowerment at the core of their lyricism and storytelling, ‘Fairy Tale’ was released on August 18th.

This is a question that has been asked in regards to music since the invention of instruments. When people first heard Black Sabbath, they were terrified. When nu-metal came along and Johnathan Davis from Korn started frothing at the mouth down the microphone, they were even more terrified. I bet some people heard Mozart for the first time in the 18th century and thought “Good heavens, what is this tosh assaulting mine ears?”

During the 70s, the language (musical genre and culture) of Glam Rock was a liberating force that challenged prevailing attitudes towards gender and sexuality. This included their theatricality (challenging gender norms,) experimental musical composition (challenging binding notions of sexuality,) and androgyny (subverting gender and sexuality).

The music industry is a wonderful community of like-minded creatives. Unfortunately it can be a disheartening career path as it often seems as though turning passion into profit is nearly impossible. However, it is not really as daunting as it seems, with social media and the internet raising visibility for new artists there are many ways for new artists to get out there. With some will and helpful tips it is possible to start out and succeed in the booming music industry as a new face.

The Phantom Project are an up and coming Glasgow base indie rock group, creating high energy and high quality tracks. This week The Music Mag had the opportunity to interview this incredible band and discover more about the origins, the present and what is to come for The Phantom Project.

The Clash made history by being a band that made political awareness into irresistible music to dance and mosh to. The four-piece of Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon and Topper Headon lasted only for a robust decade, but in those ten years they released genre-shifting albums that always put the message of being an accountable human being to yourself and others front and centre.

ASTER YVS are an up and coming Glasgow base duo, creating dreamy hyper-pop tracks unlike any other. This week The Music Mag had the opportunity to interview this incredible two piece band and discover more about the origins, the present and what is to come for ASTER YVS.

With influences ranging from early 2000s emo bands like Lil Peep and Juice WRLD to the experimental sounds of 100 gecs and Charlie XCX, Jashiin has carved a unique path in the music industry. In an exclusive interview, we had the pleasure of diving into their musical journey and understanding the passion that drives their artistry.

Jazz. A genre commonplace in cabarets and speakeasies in the era of the flapper and during a flourishing of individual liberty and freedom post-WWI in the 1920s, but now often lost and forgotten in UK top charts list, overtaken by the likes of Electro-pop, Rap and Hip-Hop. Rooted in rich cultural heritage, jazz has not only endured the test of time as a genre, but has continuously reinvented itself in attempts to remain relevant and captivating in a modern era of music.

6th June 2023: Hosted by Jaz Unplugged at Shoreditch’s Looking Glass Cocktail Bar, Plug & Play is about to begin. This is no gig, however. This is a fresh take on an artist showcase. The evening will showcase six up-and-coming R&B artists and two “special acts”, each with three minutes to impress.

This week, The Music Mag interviewed the up and coming The Sheratons, a group from Leeds who have been taking the UK music scene by storm. Having just completed a UK tour, upcoming festival spots, over 400,000 Spotify streams and radio plays, it is safe to say this group is going places. Keep reading to discover more on the past, present and future for this hidden gem in todays music scene.

A fundamental element of modern music production that allows producers to incorporate elements and snippets of existing tracks and transform them into new music. Sampling is used across every genre, from hip-hop to electronic dance music to pop music.

The musicians that came from this city and its surrounding boroughs have become innovators within their own genres while keeping their attitude and sound distinctly Mancunian, and no one was the living embodiment of this fact than the late, great music producer Martin Hannett. He was the producer behind two albums from two bands that went on to influence subcultures in their own city and beyond: Joy Division’s ‘Unknown Pleasures’ and Happy Mondays, ‘Bummed’ without having to go to London to produce such albums.

Avril Lavigne rose to prominence back in the early 2000’s when she released her debut album ‘Let Go’. The tracks on this album would turn her into a global pop punk princess. Featured tracks from the debut album included ‘Sk8er boi’, and ‘Complicated’.

In an era of music hybridity, genres are no longer the static, immovable categories used to divide EP’s and albums in record stores. Even ‘Alternative’ and ‘Pop’ have become binaries which no longer juxtapose the ideals of each other. Scanning over current chart hits, an eclectic mix of Rap, Funk, Folk, R&;B, Rock and old-school classics permeate a list of music now categorised as ‘Pop’, reimagining the reductive ideals of genre once so closely tied with artistry.

In honour of Record Store Day, it is important to take a look at some of the incredible record shops that help bring life to record collecting and the music scene in Scotland. Chatting to these business owner’s give incredible insight into record collecting and what makes record collecting so special. The Music Mag were lucky enough to discuss these with owner Lee from Dundee’s, Thirteen Records, a store which was born out of Dundee’s beloved Groucho’s and is the perfect store for any loved for record collecting.

Record Store Day (RSD), the three words music fans will have been hearing everywhere recently, but what exactly is it? Celebrating 15 years in 2022, RSD is the one day of the year for all things vinyl. On this day, 260 shops across the Uk come together along with music lovers to celebrate the record collecting community and the shops which help keep that community alive.