The British music scene has always been known for being at the forefront of experimentation, defining new directions and trends on the global musical scene. One of the most innovative jazz-cum-electronica acts coming out of England in the last decade is The Cinematic Orchestra (TCO), whose musical repertoire, evocative of dreamy images of cinema noir sets, made the band an instant classic worldwide. TCO’s soul-quenching power that draws on their ability to translate raw emotions into fluid soundscapes is comparable to the dark and melancholy lyricism of their compatriots, Bristol-based Portishead.

The Cinematic Orchestra was founded by Jay Swinscoe who used to work at South London-based record label, Ninja Tune back in 1999. Their debut album, Motion, received critical acclaims, and was voted Album of the Year by the listeners of Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide radio show. The success of the album landed them a performance at the Director’s Guild Awards ceremony for the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to film director Stanley Kubrick. Six albums later, The Cinematic Orchestra remains a force to be reckoned with, continuing to play a major role in shaping the future of nu-jazz.

In the last three years, TCO have been spreading their wings across the globe packing venues from intimate jazz cafes to massive outdoor festivals, including the highlight of their US tour playing as the supporting band for legendary jazz-fusion guitarist John McLaughlin in Central Park, NYC. As a culmination of their 2007 tour repping their latest album “Ma Fleur”, bandleader Jason Swinscoe brought an enhanced line-up of the Cinematic Orchestra incorporating the 24-piece Heritage Orchestra to the stage of legendary venue, The Royal Albert Hall, and played a show to a sold-out crowd of more than 4,000 people.

This month welcomes the release of two live recordings, the Barbican Live DVD and their epic Royal Albert Hall Live CD. You’ll have a chance to catch them performing live this week on

April 23rd, - Williamsburg Music Hall (Brooklyn, NY, USA)
April 26h, - Coachella Music Festival (Coachella, CA, USA)
April 28th, TBC, (Los Angeles, CA, USA)

Check here for more info.

I was disappointed to find out that Philadelpia’s Lineage Gallery has recently closed its doors, since it was one of few galleries that represented the next wave of underground art in the U.S. A heavy-hitter line-up including A.J. Fosik, Blaine Fontana, James Naccarato, Robert Hardgrave, Ron English, Sam Flores, Shawn Barber and Tim Biskup were among Lineage’s regular exhibitors, and collectors could find cutting edge artwork at an affordable price.

Lucky for us living in New York City, Lineage co-founder Joshua Liner decided to transport his expertise to Chelsea’s fast-growing art colony. His new project, the Joshua Liner Gallery, opened this month with an Inaugural Group Exhibition featuring art from Shawn Barber, Crash One, Mike Davis, Ron English, Jeremy Fish, Blaine Fontana, Futura, Robert Hardgrave, Naoto Hattori, Kenji Hirata, Zach Johnsen, Jessica Joslin, Josh Keyes, Koralie, Kris Kuksi, David Choong Lee, Travis Louie, Tomokazu Matsuyama, Chris Mendoza, Aiko Nakagawa, Pat Rocha, Greg Simkins, Damon Soule, Stash, Heidi Taillefer, Ben Tour, Mark Dean Veca and Oliver Vernon.

I checked out the opening reception and I was blown away by the stellar collection of works representing some of the bests of the U.S. outsider art scene. Robert Hardgrave’s beautiful collage piece, entitled ‘Powerhouse’ and Ron English’s ‘Superpop Cowgirl Guernica’, a neo-pop reinterpretation of Picasso’s masterpiece, ‘Guernica’, were among the best. Those present had a chance to mingle with many of the artists, including NYC legend, Futura.

You can go and get your aesthetic fix until May 10th. For more info, check here.

Keep your eyes peeled for future shows showcasing work from Koralie + Robert Hardgrave (5/17 –6/14), Jeremy Fish + Josh Keyes (6/21 — 7/26), Greg Simkins (9/6 — 10/4), Blaine Fontana + Damon Soule (10/11 — 11/15) and Kris Kuksi + Pat Rocha (11/22 — 12/20).

He totally brings you more than a “little bite of feel good”. British funk singer Jamie Lidell hits one more time the joy session with new album “Jim” released this month.

Revealed to a larger public in 2005 with his song “Multiply,” Lidell has now scored a try with a funkier music, still holding the influence of the great Otis Redding but with a much more personal vocal signature that can only be brought by a longer experience on stage and studio. Recorded in LA, Paris and Berlin — where Jamie spends now most of his time - “Jim” mixes vibrating bits with deeper soul music tracks singing about his life. Lidell definitely keeps his rythm going.