Rest in peace, beautiful Jennifer Finch, bass player with L7, punk icon and artist/designer in her own right. She was just 59, and aggressive brain cancer cruelly stole her from us. I will forever remember seeing L7 live in Edinburgh in 1992. She had a brilliant sense of humour and was such an icon forContinue reading “Jennifer, Oh Jenny”
Category Archives: 2026
Arab Strap Are Fighting…The Seven Signs of Ageing
Rejoice! For arch Falkirk indie satirists Arab Strap are back, and on fighting form. The new single, ‘Glamour Magick’, is excellent, taking a pop at quick -fix solutions for the truly vain and vacuous. It’s a nice antidote to the uptake in cosmetic surgery, weight loss jags and skin remedies across the world. Trust AidanContinue reading “Arab Strap Are Fighting…The Seven Signs of Ageing”
Album Review: Josh da Costa- New Wave Graveyard
“Welcome to the US, 80s, 90s”, Mark E Smith once chanted. We’re firmly entrenched in both decades in Los Angeles singer-songwriter and musician Josh da Costa’s rather charming debut solo album. Easy breezy jangle like ‘Proving Me Right’ and ‘Cordelia’ shimmer like cinematic Cadillacs on hazy highways, and ‘Skygirl’ and ‘Hospital Clown’ bounce like 90sContinue reading “Album Review: Josh da Costa- New Wave Graveyard”
Every Generic Animated Sitcom
You’ve seen them, broader than Broadway, written by manatees, lacking humanity, and punching down. Alasdair Beckett- King’s parody absolutely nails it. *Cue canned laughter, disproportionate whooping and applause*
RIP Bonnie Tyler
The Welsh singer songwriter, born Gaynor Hopkins, we found out this morning, has passed away at seventy five. She seemed like a sweetheart, really funny and vivacious, like your favourite auntie. Here’s her first hit single, ‘Lost In France’, recorded before the operation on her throat that left her with that trademark raspy voice. SheContinue reading “RIP Bonnie Tyler”
Our Bodies Are Not Trends
The recent trend for mega-skinny bodies is really concerning to me. When I was a teen and up until my early thirties, I was slender, and have never been particularly overweight, until the last six years when I’ve been disabled. So it was horrible to see that, yet again, the twig look was starting toContinue reading “Our Bodies Are Not Trends”
TV Review: Joe Lycett’s United States of Birmingham
Eschewing the tired celeb travelogue format, Brummie trickster Joe Lycett’s quest to visit every American Birmingham on the map -fifteen to be precise- is a nice spin on it, in a both true and idiomatic flipping the bird sense. The sees him hanging out with US eccentrics: everywhere from bat caves, to a place wonderfullyContinue reading “TV Review: Joe Lycett’s United States of Birmingham”
Goodbye Keir
They’re Back! Sniffany and the Nits Return
Rejoice, fans of snotty punky eccentricity, for the mighty Sniffany & The Nits are back. Forget Charli XCX, it’s gonna be a punky brat summer. I love the galloping tempo and snarky vocals. It’s a bit old school, a bit forward-facing, and altogether wonderful. It’s always exciting to see what they do. https://sniffanyandthenits.bandcamp.com
New Old Release: The Cramps- TV Set
Henry Rollins and Ian Mackaye have, as lifelong fans of The Cramps, managed to unearth some lost gems from the band’s back catalogue and are releasing them through the band’s Vengeance Records. It’s a dream come true, and a real passion project for the pair. All hail the mighty Cramps, gone, but now resurrected. Huzzah!Continue reading “New Old Release: The Cramps- TV Set”
Hit The North 