Recommended to us by London girl gone global Estelle, today's Listen! Up Tawiah made her mark on our pod with her smooth soulful grooves, and her excited performances during Mark Ronson's live shows. Born in Battersea, she's a former Brit School classmate of Kate, Amy and has fans such as Gilles Peterson and Rob Da Bank loving her every move. Tawiah! Hello, fill us all in on who you are I am Tawiah! I......

Now Londonist gets to see some pretty cool gigs in the name of keeping you apprised of stuff. But NME staff writers we ain’t, and quite often we can only blog and dream. Someone out there has gotta go see The King Blues supporting at this gig ‘cos we can’t and we’re real sore about it. Londonist was racking our rather small brain trying to think of how best to describe The King Blues’......

Every now and again we try and bring you the finer things in life. Sure, there's loads of indie, goth, electro and Viking death metal to talk about but what about music on the more classical end of the spectrum? Portico Quartet are currently touring their "inimitable" sound with Basquiat Strings and will headline a gig at the Union Chapel this Friday. We'll be there but we're not sure what to expect. They have......

Nu-metal stars Linkin Park are the main draw on Monday night, with support coming from the mighty Biffy Clyro as they play the first of two consecutive nights at the O2, and whilst tickets are all sold out, there are a few floating around on Scarlet Mist and such like. Stephen Fretwell plays a sold out show at The Troubadour, and reggae star Finley Quaye plays the first of a three night stay at the......

Three weeks into the New Year, probably one week until payday and telly's rubbish (except for new CSI), the weather's grey and the detox is wearing thin. Don't give in to those January blues! Here's what can get you out of the house for not a lot of wonga this week. Monday: This is the most depressing day of the year. We've said it before but we're going to say it again because we......

It’s cold outside this week, so it seems like the best plan is to cozy up on the couch and watch some telly. Why would you want to risk frostbite? On TV, Londonist likes: Monday, 12 November I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here (ITV1, 21:00-22:30) It’s off to the jungle yet again with Ant & Dec as they guide a new group of “celebs” through as many disgusting tasks as you’d......

If you're in the mood for a bit of jazz, then as mentioned earlier in the week, Mercury nominees Basquiat Strings will be playing a small gig tonight at Kilburn's Luminaire as part of a dsp-bip night. There were rave reviews all round for their recent electric proms gig (photos above!) so even if you're not a jazz fan, this is one band it's worth taking a listen to. Led by celloist Ben Davis,......

In celebration of their 25th anniversary, avant-garde music magazine The Wire will be keeping the capital busy this month with a series of gigs under the banner Wire 25. Whilst many of the events are up our street, we were most excited to hear that two of the gigs were being organised by one of our favourite promoters, [no.signal]. Their evening with Tony Conrad this past June at St. Giles-in-the-Fields was the most fun......

Your mother might well have said ‘that you never should/Play with the gypsies in the wood’, and she would probably advise you to give a wide berth to the begging variety in most urban high streets today as well. But this is just so much social stereotyping, and the Romany culture is a rich and interesting one, certainly worthy of more respect than it usually garners. Londonist has exciting news for those of you who......

If Londonist were really rich we'd be out every night doing LOADS of fun stuff. We'd be going to see all of the cool things at London Design Festival. We'd be drinking beer out of plastic cups and dancing at the Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly gig. But we're not. Instead all our money goes on rubbish stupid bills and... actually not much else. So here's what we're going to do instead. Here's a......

Following last year's inaugural success, the BBC Electric Proms return for a 2nd year from 24 - 28 October. Tickets go on sale today at 12pm and, given the calibre of the lineup, are expected to be snapped up in no time. The posher version of the Camden Crawl, the musical Leccy lineup is spread across Koko, Roundhouse, Barfly, Dingwalls, the Jazz Cafe and the Electric Ballroom, with relevant musical films taking place in......

Monday night sees mad Australians Architecture in Helsinki come to the capital to play Koko after a stop off at Bestival this weekend. Tickets are £12.50 each and still available for box office collection. Faithless play the first of two nights in the capital at Shepherds Bush before moving on to Brixton on Tuesday night, which is mostly sold out though there are some balcony seats left. KT Tunstall plays an instore at HMV on......

For most of you, it was pay day this weekend. Wahey! This also means if you're like us, you've spent all your cash in the pub and will now be eating beans on toast all week. Which after going to The Edinboro Castle and having spent so long at the bar you sobered up, doesn't really seem worth the effort any more, does it? But don't worry! All is going to be fine. Even......

It seems that half the country (and Londonist staff) is on holiday at the moment. Still, here's the best of what's on musically across the capital this week.Jazz singer-songwriter Norah Jones  is the highlight of Bank Holiday Monday night, playing with M. Ward at Hammersmith Apollo. Tickets are sold out, however be sure to check out scarlet mist and other providers. Meanwhile hardcore punk stars Bane play Underworld, with £10 tickets available either on the......

Part 2: "Let's all go down the strand"...Music Hall. "The music hall is dying, and with it, a significant part of England. some of the heart of England has gone; something that once belonged to everyone, for this was truly a folk art." John Osbourne - 1957. Music Hall helped to shape the entertainment scene in London. It's even had a bit of a revival of late, with music and supper clubs like the......

Monday sees Portland, Oregon’s new indie-rock darlings The Thermals play Dingwalls with support from Siberia’s SonicFlyer. Tickets are still available from See Tickets at £8.50 each plus booking fees. Tellison play their “disarming melodies and big-hearted guitars” at the Camden Barfly, with support coming from Encyclopedia, The Xcerts and Gavin Osborn, with tickets only £6 each. Popular Canadian singer-songwriter Feist plays Scala on Tuesday night, though tickets are long gone unfortunately – Scarlet mist may......

We'll let you into a secret: Londonist is a bit skint. And we all know that the wonderful events in the city can add up to quite a hefty sum. It means that we can't go and see the Dali and Film exhibition at the Tate Modern, or go and see Amy Winehouse on Friday. Booooo. Hisssss. What are we to do? Well here's a few things we found that you can do over......

As a wise man once said, "Bloody hell, it's Soft Cell!" Well, actually, it's not Soft Cell. It's just Marc Almond solo. And the man wasn't all that wise. It was Alan Partridge. Either way, though, Monday gives you a chance to see Marc Almond of Soft Cell at Shepherd's Bush Empire. It's his 50th birthday party, so buy him something nice. For those whose prefer sax to synth, septuagenarian free jazz legend Ornette Coleman......

More a fan of the chilled out vibes that Beirut give out than the skills of Calvin Harris? Missed out on your Glastonbury tickets and a chance to see Beirut this weekend on the Jazz World stage? Well, don’t worry. Monday night sees the Albuquerque native Zach Condon and his collective of musicians play a free acoustic show on the South Bank. To be there, all you have to do is meet at the 'Appearing......

Oliver and Adelaide Tambo lived in Muswell Hill for 30 years. Adelaide worked as a nurse at the Whittington Hospital and they raised 3 children in London. In 1990 they were the first recipients of the Freedom of the Borough of Haringey. Why? You may well ask. Oliver Tambo was a friend and comrade of Nelson Mandela, who worked to defend victims of apartheid. He played an unparalleled role in the growth and development......

The first proper weekend of the festival season is upon us, with many people jetting off to Download or Isle of Wight. However, for those of you stuck in the city this weekend, there are still lots of musical events you can feast your ears on for now. First up, George Michael plays Wembley on Saturday and Sunday. The camp Greek star is set to be the first artist to play Wembley, and doesn’t......

All across the Ist-A-Verse (or at least the American parts thereof), writers and editors are in the midst of enjoying their three-day weekend. But after the week we've all had, we feel like the break is not only needed, but deserved. Just look at everything we've been doing! Gothamist headed into the Memorial Day weekend with a number of tasks accomplished. They worried about Long Islanders giving New Yorkers a bad name. They tried......

You may remember the Vortex Jazz Club in Dalston for its inspired football World Cup sessions last summer where the on-screen action from Germany was accompanied by two competing free jazz ensembles. This time the club has turned to blues in the shape of South-East London guitarists Steve Morrison and Billy Jenkins who are presenting a brand new programme of topical music to accompany... a chess tournament. This Sunday sees the climax of five......

The weekend is so close. In a matter of hours you will be putting down your ploughs, sickles and pick axes, washing the mud off your wellies, putting on a fancy scarf or a cravat and going to do something fun. "But what can we do?" we hear you cry. "Shall we watch Finding Nemo on DVD again?". No, definitely not. No no no. Why not check out one of these events? Are you......

It's a kid-friendly crawl this weekend, by which we mean there's lots of stuff to see and do that would please children and the perpetually nostalgic. Get your scarf, woolly hat and mittens and go out to play. Until 3 December Toys@Oxo 2006 is the annual show from the British Toymakers Guild and everything on display is also for sale. The automata, dolls, teddy bears, puzzles and games, glove puppets, hobby horses, wooden toys......

Niiiice! beatdrifter's snap of the Ray's Jazz signage (simply titled Jazzz) is a nice reminder of London's independent spirit. When rent hikes meant Ray's had to relocate, Foyles made some space for the store up on its first floor (it also offered a haven for Silver Moon) and with the inclusion of a great little coffee shop provided one of the most interesting nooks on Charing Cross Road. Best of all you can sit......

From some not-so-humble beginnings as an eccentric DJ double-act, Kaiser Saucy and Lord Fader have turned The Loose Cannons into a relentlessly fun-loving electro-punk-funk-camp-clash live band. Certainly when we first saw them perform a hugely energetic set at a ridiculously sweaty 93 Feet East a couple of weeks ago, we were pretty darned impressed. If you want to check them out for yourself, they're playing at The Jazz Cafe in Camden this evening. We......

It's time for another Londonist Culture Crawl though in the current hot weather, the temptation to slump into a sticky puddle of distinctly uncultured gloop is rather overwhelming. Nonetheless, for those armed with enough Friday 7 July Being the first Friday of the month, go along to Tate Britain for the July Friday Late. This Friday is the return of the South West Fest Party - an annual celebration of the SW1 community. Music......

If you're getting bored with the local pub and looking for a more interesting world cup watching experience get yourself over to Dalston. The Vortex Jazz Club is holding World Cup Jazz Balls where the match is shown on a big screen, but the commentary is turned off while two teams of three musicians each portray the ebb and flow of the game through live improvisation. The club has held several of these occasions......

We had a schedule for last weekend, a full to bursting at the seams schedule that would guarantee a very fulfilling Culture Crawl for whoever dared to undertake it. Londonist attempted to Do It All - and these pictures are evidence that it is possible to take in some architecture, some performance art, some live music, a photography exhibition, hte cafe of a major national museum and a Korean opera all in one day and......