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UB40 recruit Duncan Campbell as new vocalist

Duncan Campbell is to replace his brother Ali as UB40's vocalist, it was announced today. Read

Sisters Of Albion at Birmingham Town Hall

What a perfect conclusion to a superb weekend of folk music at Town Hall. Read

Guillemots feel blue as critics slam Red

Fyfe Dangerfield tells Andrew Cowen how he's dealing with the Guillemots backlash Read

Review: Billy Bragg at Birmingham Town Hall

Was it a gig or was it a political rally? The lines were well and truly blurred, if not invisible in the first place and Billy Bragg made no apology for the fact. Read

Three years for Moseley Folk Festival

Summer's coming which can only mean one thing, says Andrew Cowen. The return of Moseley Folk Festival Read

Review: A Hawk And A Hacksaw at The Glee Club

Hailing from Alburquerque, New Mexico, A Hawk and a Hacksaw features Jeremy Barnes, formerly of seminal indie-folk act Neutral Milk Hotel, and violinist Heather Trost. Read

Review: Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings at The Yardbird, Birmingham

The Dap Kings, hailing from Brooklyn, are effectively a house band for hire - whether it's for the Daptone label, or for uber-producer Mark Ronson, who enlisted their services when recording Amy Winehouse's most recent album. Read

Review: Portishead at Wolverhampton Civic Hall

It's been a long time coming: 10 years. That was the last time we really heard anything of Portishead. Read

Big Chill's friendly vibe lures Leonard Cohen

Katrina Larkin, Big Chill boss, tells Andrew Cowen the secret of a successful festival is mutual respect. Read

Review: Elbow at Carling Academy, Birmingham

Elbow are one of the most underrated bands - and in Garvey they have a most charismatic frontman with one of the most distinctive and powerful voices. Read

Birmingham's character lies in its loose ends

The Art of Ideas, a three-day music and art event taking place at Birmingham Hippodrome this week, has commissioned two keynote essays. Award-winning novelist Catherine O'Flynn speaks up for the in-between, non-utopian city. Read