Welcome to the Middle East's alternative music news source. It's all here - Middle East-based news, interviews and information, with lots of international music news and interviews all in one place.
 Good Disco, Bad DiscoWhat do you get when you mix creative personalities, different musical backgrounds, years of DJ experience, various interpretations of alternative c... Sun, 12 Feb 2012 |  Music Talk: TashAs a multi-cultural, multi-lingual artist – Sony Music Middle East’s latest signee, Tash, presents a unique and authentic flavor of fusion-inspired ... Sun, 12 Feb 2012 |  Music to Look Forward to in 2012So much great music was released in 2011, don’t you agree (look here, here and here!)? The new year is here – and apart from Mayan prophecies, we’r... Wed, 01 Feb 2012 |  Classics: FairuzThere is an iconic slew of voices which highlighted the classic decades of music in the Arab world. These eternal voices have retained a legendary s... Sun, 15 Jan 2012 |
 Best of 2011: Mike PriestSo, this year (or year-end) we're trying something a little bit different. We're handing the steering wheel to a group of Makshoof Music artists t... Mon, 02 Jan 2012 |  Best of 2011: Agent Whiskers/Imad JawadSo, this year (or year-end) we're trying something a little bit different. We're handing the steering wheel to a group of Makshoof Music artists t... Wed, 28 Dec 2011 |  Best of 2011: Nadim JamalSo, this year (or year-end) we're trying something a little bit different. We're handing the steering wheel to a group of Makshoof Music artists t... Mon, 26 Dec 2011 |  Best of 2011: Shady AhmedSo, this year (or year-end) we're trying something a little bit different. We're handing the steering wheel to a group of Makshoof Music artists t... Sun, 25 Dec 2011 |
 Why Hip Hop: Q&A with Big HassHip hop and the Middle East in the same sentence might have been a bit nonsensical a couple of years back, but the regional music scene has been r... Sat, 10 Dec 2011 |  A Songbird in the EtherDubai-based singer/songwriter Gayathri Krishnan discovered her passion and talent for music from a young age and amidst a myriad of influences she... Sat, 26 Nov 2011 |  Feeler: Pete Murray Q&AWe met up last week with Australian singer/songwriter Pete Murray ahead of his Sandance gig in Dubai. Read below to find out more about his new al... Mon, 21 Nov 2011 |  Music Talk with Dave DobbynHe was a part of many of New Zealand’s finest music exports, from Th’ Dudes to DD Smash. Dave Dobbyn, is truly a music chameleon whose career has sp... Mon, 21 Nov 2011 |
 More Than Meets the EyeProg-metal dubai-based band EYE delves into musical experimentation with their full power. The band which formed in 2006, has released its debut a... Mon, 14 Nov 2011 |  Above & Beyond: UAE MusicThe pressures on independent Middle Eastern musicians are on the rise. These pressures vary from gaining enough exposure to maintaining their orig... Sun, 13 Nov 2011 |  (RE)Birth: Q&A with Hamdan Al AbriHamdan Al Abri has made a name for himself on the local and regional music scenes with the jazz/soul outfit – Abri. Nowadays, Hamdan is venturing in... Sun, 30 Oct 2011 |  Kuwait-Music CD Compilation: Submit Now!Kuwait’s leading music website, Kuwait-Music.com, has recently announced a call out to submissions to their CD Compilation. Read below for further d... Sat, 22 Oct 2011 |
 Regional Online Media Partners: JorZineIn an attempt to connect with other leading online media outlets in the region, triplew.me has partnered with some of the region’s best websites t... Mon, 03 Oct 2011 |  Clash of the Titans: Metallica & Lou ReeThe news broke out recently that thrash giants, Metallica are finally heading to the Middle East – Abu Dhabi, to be exact. Amidst all the excitement... Mon, 19 Sep 2011 |  Regional Online Media Partners: Sound ofIn an attempt to connect with other leading online media outlets in the region, triplew.me has partnered with some of the region’s best websites t... Sun, 11 Sep 2011 |  1991: More than Nirvana?If you’ve been living with your head in the sand for the last month, you won’t know that Nirvana’s game-changer Nevermind was released this month so... Sat, 10 Sep 2011 |
 Piped Dreams: Online BroadcastingThe Middle East has begun to embrace the DIY culture of internet radio, with a number of different audio streams popping up offering the public some... Sun, 04 Sep 2011 |  Back to the Future: ElectronicaToday, venturing into the creative side of making music, film or photography is facilitated by an arsenal of gadgetry from cameras that can make eve... Mon, 29 Aug 2011 |  Video: Lenny Kravitz InterviewVeteran rocker Lenny Kravitz is back with studio album number 9, called Black and White America. In this series of three interviews, Lenny talks abo... Mon, 29 Aug 2011 |  An Electric Affair: Interview with LumiMarc Codsi and Mayaline Hage the duo behind electro-pop outfit Lumi have been making the waves in an uncharted territory for years now. They appeare... Fri, 26 Aug 2011 |
 Record Revolution: The Resurgence of VinThe news is full of bad news for media. Newspapers are dying, the end is nigh for CD retailers and TV is being over-taken by record-at-home devices.... Sat, 20 Aug 2011 |  What's New This Week?There’s so much happening we thought we’d give you one handy place where you can explore what’s new to triplew.me this week. Tue, 16 Aug 2011 |  Metal in the Middle East: Nervecell Q&ANervecell is one of the most successful Metal bands to come out of the UAE. Rasha Omer interviewed the guys recently. Read below for more about Nerv... Wed, 27 Jul 2011 |  Five Years of Meen: Q&AA year ago we met up with Meen - the Lebanese rock band who have created a signature sound for themselves with their light-hearted take on pop rock ... Mon, 25 Jul 2011 |
 Loud Measures: Massive Scar Era Q&AEgyptian Metal band – Massive Scar Era, who has just been on a DIY US tour. Rasha Omer has recently spoken to vocalist/lead guitarist Sherine Amr ab... Wed, 20 Jul 2011 |  Arabic Music in International SpheresWorld renowned oud player Omar Bashir is collaborating with legend producer Quincy Jones in a one of its kind culture bridging musical initiative. R... Sat, 16 Jul 2011 |  One Year OnIt’s been twelve months since the triplew.me concept materialized and we launched it online. Twelve months of news, creativity, connecting platforms... Sun, 10 Jul 2011 |  Video Interview: Juliana DownWe recently caught up with the guys from Dubai-based band Juliana Down who have released their LP ‘Empires’ in April (read review here) through Sony... Sun, 26 Jun 2011 |
 The Keyword is NewWe’ve been quiet lately – we’ve been busy upgrading the site over the last week and giving you some awesome new opportunities. We’ve tried to create... Sun, 26 Jun 2011 |  Premiere - Foo Fighters: Back and ForthLegend (well, fact) has it, Dave Grohl went a made a recording of demos he’d recorded during touring with Nirvana, and created the Foo Fighters. Sin... Sun, 26 Jun 2011 |  What Happened? Women in MusicIn the second of a series of articles looking at Music in 2011, we take a look at what pop music, and those that market it, are using the image wome... Tue, 07 Jun 2011 |  Interview: DJ Saeed MuradAs the father of the Oriental Electronic/Dance music genre – DJ Saeed Murad has already enjoyed a fantastic and fulfilling career in DJing, producin... Sat, 28 May 2011 |
 Dead, Dying or Thriving? Music Sales UpA lot has been made in recent times of the supposed death of the music industry as we know, or knew, it. And let’s face it; all involved in the indu... Wed, 25 May 2011 |  Interview: RaSh RadioWe catch up with RaSh Radio, the charismatic singer/songwriter from Cairo just after the release of his first official video for the single “Ghosts”... Tue, 17 May 2011 |  Do It Yourself? A Punk view...The Music Industry has seemingly changed forever, and as a result more and more musicians are looking for unconventional and pro-active ways in orde... Tue, 17 May 2011 |  New This Week: Making Codes and TurningThis week at triplew.me we take a look at a whole bunch of new things - From releases, shows on our audio stream to tracks and videos. So read below... Tue, 17 May 2011 |
 When Fashion and Music Collide: Part 2In our last fashion related article we talked about how luxury brands are associating themselves with music and emerging bands in an attempt to appe... Mon, 16 May 2011 |  A Wriggly Kind of Hip HopNeil Andrew, best known as DJ Solo and one of the best known Hip Hop DJs in Dubai – is releasing an all encompassing, all original EP in May (2nd to... Mon, 02 May 2011 |  Leila's Project: Dubai's SerenadeWe caught up with the talented Beiruti band ahead of their upcoming gig at the Music Room in Dubai (Thursday, 5th of May). Here’s what they had to s... Wed, 27 Apr 2011 |  Six Spring Albums We Look Forward To!So much music, so little time! It’s only April, but this year has been amazing with fantastic releases from across the board – Radiohead, The Decemb... Wed, 20 Apr 2011 |
 When Fashion and Music CollideFashion and music are inseparable. Music has always been (in parts) about the image of the performer and that’s how fashion plays an important role ... Tue, 19 Apr 2011 |  Would You Like To Be The Next Big MusicSaatchi & Saatchi in association with video platform Vimeo and International artist Moby are collaborating to give up and coming filmmakers and ... Mon, 18 Apr 2011 |  Attention Music Lovers!triplew.me is launching a new system for user-based music reviews. So if you think you’ve got the chops and would like to give it a try – then read ... Mon, 18 Apr 2011 |  New This Week: Old Hands, New MaterialThis week triplew.me looks at some new material from Jane’s Addiction, a new track by Stevie Nicks (Fleetwood Mac) with Dave Stewart (Eurythmics) an... Wed, 13 Apr 2011 |
 Songs for JapanMusic has always been a medium to heal people in times of war and disasters – and it has always been a tradition of the music world to release music... Tue, 12 Apr 2011 |  We Wish Upon a Breakup: RockSometimes we hear through the grapevine that an iconic band is about to disband, or go on a extended hiatus – and it’s usually a shocking, sad event... Sun, 03 Apr 2011 |  Noush Like Sploosh Q&AWe ask the wonderfully talented singer/songwriter Noush Like Sploosh, from Dubai, some questions to find out more about her upcoming music-video-art... Mon, 28 Mar 2011 |  Noush Like Sploosh Q&A Pt. 2We ask the wonderfully talented singer/songwriter some questions to find out more about her upcoming grandiose, music video slash art installation p... Sun, 27 Mar 2011 |
 Exclusive Preview: R.E.M.’s Collapse IntIt’s almost nonsensical trying to write an introduction on R.E.M. – because, let’s face it, who doesn’t know R.E.M.? Unless you were born in the las... Mon, 28 Feb 2011 |  Eric Hutchinson Q&AAhead of his first gig in Dubai, on Friday night (25th of February) – as a part of the Livin’ The Music Festival – American singer/songwriter Eric H... Tue, 22 Feb 2011 |  Listen: Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx 'We'rDo you know Gil Scott-Heron? He’s the guy who did the song ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’…we all know that song, or at least title, from rec... Wed, 16 Feb 2011 |  Music Master Launches Music Download WebIn a move that is going to help change the digital music business in the region, and offer instantaneous accessibility to a massive catalogue of mus... Sat, 05 Feb 2011 |
 The Decemberists on Top of the WorldWith their newly released album “The King Is Dead” [click here for our review] – the Portland based indie rockers are taking over the airwaves in an... Sun, 30 Jan 2011 |  Makshoof Music Week - Wrap-UpFollowing a busy week of working at In The Mix, an appearance on Dubai One's 20Something program and 2 gigs, Shady Ahmed and his band returned to Ca... Thu, 27 Jan 2011 |  Mario Reyes, The Gipsy Man hits DubaiOn Wednesday 26 January, the talented Mario Reyes hits Dubai to present his form of flamenco/rumba in an intimate setting at the Radisson Rooftop. ... Mon, 24 Jan 2011 |  Triplew.me Launches Music StreamWith the start of the New Year, a big promise of a lot of interesting content was made – from music and movies to gig coverage and bigger competitio... Sun, 16 Jan 2011 |
 Makshoof Music winner in DubaiWith the second version of Makshoof Music just around the corner, and thanks to triplew.me’s Makshoof Music competition sponsors In The Mix Studios ... Sat, 15 Jan 2011 |  triplew.me Best Albums of 2010We trawled the ocean of our team’s reviews and tastes (and roping in a few extra people along the way) to come up with our Top 25 Albums of 2010. Be... Mon, 20 Dec 2010 |  Who Picked What? Music IndustryJust because we could, we sought some validation from our peers and decided to ask a selection of those close to the industry to pick their Top 10 o... Mon, 20 Dec 2010 |  Who Picked What? Triplew.me TeamA rag-tag bunch of rapscallions (Yes! Used that word in an article), the team at triplew.me has some of the most diverse music taste that you could ... Mon, 20 Dec 2010 |
 2010 in Review - triplew.me 'Awards'2010 has been a busy (musical) year for us here at triplew.me - aside from the website launching into cyberspace, we launched Makshoof Music and tri... Mon, 20 Dec 2010 |  Reflecting on 2010It's time again for another set of lists. Our Top albums of 2010 might look like an indie love-fest, but to be brutally honest, 2010 was kind of the... Mon, 20 Dec 2010 |  Best of 2010: Middle East ActsThis year, at least for us here at triplew.me, was a big one. Not only was 2010 our launch year, but we witnessed a resurgence in the notion of home... Sun, 12 Dec 2010 |  Top Middle East Independent Releases ofDeciding this one was hard, there was a lot of talent at various stages of release and differing amounts of originality that came across the triplew... Sun, 12 Dec 2010 |
 Ones to Watch: 2011Throughout the last year we were introduced to, and subsequently immersed with, music from across the Middle East thanks to the great response to fi... Sun, 12 Dec 2010 |  Best of 2010 - Enter your selection!A lot happened in 2010, allegedly. triple.me came into existence. From our perspective, that's all we noticed. But all that’s about to change as we ... Sun, 05 Dec 2010 |  Upcoming Music Releases: 10 to Look ForwIt has been a good year for music – and this will be showcased come December when end of the year lists starts popping up around the web (look out f... Wed, 24 Nov 2010 |  The Music ManIf you’re not in the music industry, you might not be aware of the unassuming Sinan Ufuk Nergis, the Turkish music producer and co-creator of the ... Wed, 17 Nov 2010 |
 Metal: Misunderstood?Dubai might not seem at first glance to be an obvious place to have a heavy metal gig, why? because Heavy Metal is often (misleadingly) associated ... Wed, 17 Nov 2010 |  Makshoof Music’s First WinnerMakshoof Music, www.triplew.me’s online platform for Middle East music talent has its first winner – singer/songwriter Shady Ahmed from Cairo. From... Wed, 17 Nov 2010 |  Makshoof Music – The Next Evolutiontriplew.me's had an overwhelming response to the regions first Makshoof Music competition, we were extremely impressed with the level of interest an... Wed, 17 Nov 2010 | Middle East Music: Download, Enjoy, LoveIt’s been a great month here at triplew.me. Aside from the usual great international stuff we normally get, we’ve been lucky to get a bunch of great... Wed, 10 Nov 2010 |
 A Hip Hop Homecoming: The Narcicyst2010 has already been a huge year for hip hop in the Middle East, with things only getting stronger in a region already known for its emerging hip h... Tue, 09 Nov 2010 |  Tunes of the DeadHalloween is a holiday inspired by creepy creatures, horror tales, and spooky environments – so how would one imagine a Halloween soundtrack to soun... Sun, 31 Oct 2010 |  Future Music 2: Technology and MusicThis month, AMD is powering triplew.me – in the second installment of Future Music, Luke Oram finds out that they are bringing the power of the reco... Tue, 26 Oct 2010 |  Massive Scar Era - Makshoof Music ProfilTime again for a Makshoof Music interview, and this time it's Massive Scar Era's Sherine who gets the triplew.me question and answer session ahead ... Mon, 18 Oct 2010 |
 SimpleXity - Makshoof Music ProfileWhile Makshoof Music competition has closed for entries (you can still load your music though!) and the Judging Panel are listening over the next 2... Tue, 12 Oct 2010 |  triplew.me Best of the 90's - Rasha OmerNow it's Rasha Omer's turn to take stock, boil up Will's suggestions and turn her attention to the film and musical highlights in the 1990's - follo... Mon, 04 Oct 2010 |  Makshoof Music - Final UpdateIn the final public update, and final before the competition is closed on Friday 8 October for Makshoof Music 1, we check in on where Makshoof Music... Mon, 04 Oct 2010 |  Makshoof Music - Decision TimeMusicians of the Middle East have taken notice in a big way of Makshoof Music, something which makes us here at triplew.me quite proud. As we close ... Mon, 04 Oct 2010 |
 triplew.me Best of the 90's - Will NixonFollowing on from triplew.me's 'unholy triology' (Rasha, Paul and Mick D) looking at the decade of the 80's and everything it bought with it, we've ... Sun, 03 Oct 2010 |  Chitty Chitty Band BandAs we move into Middle Eastern Film Festival season, we thought it would be an easy target, and good angle, to look at actor's bands and the great (... Tue, 28 Sep 2010 |  Interview: Joe Satriani - return of thetriplew.me's Luke Oram interviews guitar legend Joe Satriani ahead of the release of his latest album, Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards, on October ... Mon, 27 Sep 2010 |  Makshoof Music - Weekly Update 4In the fourth update, and final before the competition is closed for Makshoof Music 1, we check in on where Makshoof Music is up to. Musicians - get... Sun, 26 Sep 2010 |
 Shو? Makshoof Music ProfileIn one of our two interviews with Makshoof Music artists this week, we talk to Sho?, one of Dubai's brightest up-and-coming acts. Currently preparin... Sun, 26 Sep 2010 |  RaSh Radio - Makshoof Music ProfileIn one of two Makshoof Music interviews this week, we talk to RaSh Radio, a talented solo artist from Cairo about winning awards, being heard on the... Sun, 26 Sep 2010 |  Last Back in the 80's: PaulThis last piece in the series picks up where Rasha and Mick D left off - with Paul Kelly looking at his favourite moments of the decade that spawned... Sat, 25 Sep 2010 |  Back in the 80's: Mick DThis second article in the series picks up where Rasha left off - with the elder statesman at triplew.me, Mick D, who remembers the '80's like it wa... Tue, 21 Sep 2010 |
 Back in the 80's: Rasha OmerFirm believers of the age-old assertion that you need to know where you came from to know where you're going, triplew.me is taking a look back at th... Mon, 20 Sep 2010 |  Re-set the Clock to 2000: Re-IssuesIt’s been ten years since Josh Homme recited his idea of a good time concoction (over and over again) in 'Feel Good Hit of the Summer' from Queens o... Sat, 18 Sep 2010 |  Lunacyst - Makshoof Music ProfileOnce again we take a look into the world of metal in Bahrain to talk to Lunacyst, one of the top metal acts currently featured in Makshoof Music, wi... Sat, 18 Sep 2010 |  A Perfect StormDubai-based hip hop artist Perfect Storm catches up with triplew.me ahead of the launch of his mix-tape ‘The Calm Before’ this week-end. We talk to ... Tue, 14 Sep 2010 |
 Future MusicIn the first of a series of articles, Luke Oram, writing exclusively for triplew.me, takes a look at the future of the music industry, what it means... Mon, 13 Sep 2010 |  Absolace talks to triplew.meDubai-based Absolace have received a lot of attention of late, following their excellent debut album Resolve[d], and a host of impressive live perfo... Sun, 12 Sep 2010 |  THEE PROjECT - Makshoof ProfileAnother in our series of features on the leading artists in the region, we stop by Bahrain to talk to the members of THEE PROjECT, an interesting an... Sat, 11 Sep 2010 |  Who is Hurts?triplew.me's Will Nixon takes a look at Hurts, the new electro-pop-80's esque duo from Manchester in the UK ahead of the release of their debut albu... Fri, 10 Sep 2010 |
Makshoof Music - Weekly Update 2In the second update of where Makshoof Music is up to, triplew.me shows the overall picture and has a look at the popular songs and artists for this... Wed, 08 Sep 2010 |  Makshoof Music Profile - Karma (Cairo)This week's feature profile is on Karma, a rock band from Cairo, that play a mix of rock and metal to deliver a unique sound that's all their own. W... Sat, 04 Sep 2010 |  Makshoof Music - Weekly Update #1Although Makshoof Music is not a popularity contest, and triplew.me stresses it's also about quality, votes never hurt anyone get noticed. So we de... Tue, 31 Aug 2010 |  Slayer and Bullet For My ValentineIn this edition of Who Made Who? we're going to take a look at Welsh metalcore powerhouse Bullet For My Valentine and some of the influences that ha... Thu, 26 Aug 2010 |
 Makshoof Music Profile - Smouldering InFollowing on from the recent chats we've been having with regional acts, we catch up with Smouldering in Forgotten, one of a few great metal bands o... Mon, 23 Aug 2010 |  Congratulations, MGMTAn album that made it on to triplew.me’s ‘Top Albums of 2010, so far’ list, MGMT's Congratulations is one that we missed covering first time around.... Sat, 14 Aug 2010 |  Makshoof Music Profile - Faking It (CairIn another feature article on Makshoof Music, we catch up with Mahmoud "7oudster" Kamel from Faking It from Cairo about the punk scene in Cairo, how... Sat, 14 Aug 2010 |  Summer Festival Preview: BestivalSince its beginnings in 2004, Bestival has gained a strong reputation as being an intimate, less commercial and more alternative sibling to bigger, ... Sat, 14 Aug 2010 |
 triplew.me's Summer PlaylistWe bring you triplew.me's Summer Playlist - brim-full of electro and indie-pop to help pass those lazy summer days, or the ones stuck indoors waitin... Fri, 13 Aug 2010 |  The Best Albums of 2010, so far...So, after talking amongst the team, Rasha Omer, our resident expert in all things new and shiny, suggested we compile a list of the best albums of t... Tue, 10 Aug 2010 |  Makshoof Music Profile - Belm2loob (AlexIn another feature article focus on artists that have submitted their music to Makshoof Music, we catch up with Belm2loob ('upside-down' in phonetic... Mon, 09 Aug 2010 |  The Hold Steady talks to triplew.meIn the latest feature on international artists, we catch up for a Q & A with Craig Finn from The Hold Steady about their latest album Heaven is ... Thu, 05 Aug 2010 |
 Makshoof Music Profile - Silverlake (BahIn the first article in a series of interviews on the artists who have supported triplew.me and got behind Makshoof Music, we take some time to talk... Wed, 04 Aug 2010 |  The KordzIn the last part of our series on 'Discovering Lebanon' (see the interviews with the other bands Meen & Mashrou3 Leila) triplew.me talked to The... Fri, 30 Jul 2010 |  Gorillaz talk to triplew.metriplew.me sat down with members of the new Gorillaz line-up before their historic concert in Damascus on July 25th. The gig was the first time a ma... Tue, 27 Jul 2010 |  Mashrou3 LeilaThe second of our feature stories on bands in Beirut takes us to talk to Mashrou3 Leila ('the overnight project'), who have been playing live, and g... Mon, 19 Jul 2010 |
 OK Go talks to triplew.meIn one of this month’s international features, triplew.me catches OK Go’s drummer Dan Kanopka to talk about the new album, staying fresh and sane on... Sat, 17 Jul 2010 |  Pixies - 20 years on from 'Doolittle'The Zénith Nantes Métropole seems an unlikely venue for a late-80s American garage-rock act to sell-out a gig. Despite the fact that the Pixies hav... Sat, 17 Jul 2010 |  Biffy Clyro - a must-see this summertriplew.me’s Calvin Houlison recently was lucky enough to see the ‘Biff in Sydney, Australia at the famous Metro Theater in Sydney.... Scottish roc... Fri, 16 Jul 2010 |  Hot Chip and KraftwerkIn this Who Made Who? triplew.me's Mick D looks at Kraftwerk and their influence on the band Hot Chip, just one of many bands the seminal Germans ha... Fri, 16 Jul 2010 |
 Meen in BeirutMeen first came to the attention of triplew.me when we were looking for regional talent to showcase as part of our launch, and we were instantly tak... Sun, 11 Jul 2010 |  Phoenix and 'Yacht Rock'So who are the first bands you think of when you listen to the ultra smooth sounds of Phoenix? The Velvet Underground, Iggy Pop, Elvis Costello, Ki... Thu, 01 Jul 2010 |  Tool and King CrimsonIn this month's feature Who Made Who, triplew.me takes through the paces of two of our favorites. Every self respecting Tool fan (ed. Mick D is a f... Wed, 30 Jun 2010 |  Bruce Springsteen & The Killers 'Sam's TThe Killers’ massive hooks and big Bruce’s Americana rock sound have a similar pedigree, with deep roots in Americana… The Killers had massive shoe... Thu, 20 May 2010 |
