Produced by The Delgados’ Paul Savage, who cheekily gets his name mentioned in the title, this debut album by The Phantom Band saw widespread critical acclaim, but has been a little sidelined in recent years. I’m sure it’s because its various members have gone on to different projects lately. What a fully- formed masterpiece though.Continue reading “Overlooked Classic: The Phantom Band- Checkmate Savage (2009)”
Category Archives: Album
Iggy And The Stooges- Raw Power
Mick Rock’s book on Iggy And The Stooges, circa 72-3, the ‘Raw Power’ era, doesn’t just capture the proto-punk era. It captures the feral energy of the best band in the world at that time, except for Bowie’s Ziggy and the Spiders. Iggy Pop at 25 was beyond rock, beyond roll, beyond entertainer, beyond androgyny,Continue reading “Iggy And The Stooges- Raw Power”
Overlooked Classic: Japan – Gentlemen Take Polaroids
Stroking that rare sweet spot between art and pop, Japan eschewed easy or definitive classification. Of course, they were always inextricably linked to Japanese artist Yellow Magic Orchestra and in particular Riuyichi Sakamoto, who wrote the final track here- ‘Taking Islands In Africa ‘ – but there are classical influencers in the won ton soupContinue reading “Overlooked Classic: Japan – Gentlemen Take Polaroids”
Film Review: The Rolling Stones:Stones In Exile
Talk about first world problems. This insightful documentary from Stephen Kijak follows the (in)famous moment in rock history when The Stones were living as tax exiles in France in 1972, recording the classic, frankly brilliant ‘Exile On Main Street’ . Baked…and then there’s BAKED. Keef, chilling in the sun. In their fabulous interior at VilleContinue reading “Film Review: The Rolling Stones:Stones In Exile”
Album Review: Death Valley Girls-Welcome To Earth
Picture credit: Sheva Kafai Portents of red moons,flowers and cosmic symbols? Must be the new album from Death Valley Girls. The gals who once convinced Iggy Pop to do an Andy Warhol and eat a burger in their ‘Disaster’ video, are back, with a few changes to their winning formula, but it’s still recognisably them.Continue reading “Album Review: Death Valley Girls-Welcome To Earth”
Anatomy of A Classic: Siouxsie and The Banshees- Peepshow
The apotheosis of everything they’d done up to that point, Siouxsie and The Banshees’ ninth album ‘Peepshow’ released in 1988, was arguably the best of their work, next to ‘JuJu’. Influenced by the flickering expressionist shadows of early German cinema, the Weimar Republic and torch songs, the album saw Siouxsie take off her signature CleopatraContinue reading “Anatomy of A Classic: Siouxsie and The Banshees- Peepshow”
Bloc Party- Then and Now
Bloc Party’s debut ‘Silent Alarm’ is -bizarrely -twenty five years old this year. For me, it still holds up, because it has that sense of urgency. ‘Helicopter’ is a banger among bangers. And now, their new album, ‘Anatomy Of A Brief Romance’ is out, and they are still worth listening to. They’ve weathered the storms,Continue reading “Bloc Party- Then and Now”
Skeleton Tree Is A Decade Old
How is it possible? Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ ‘Skeleton Tree’s a decade old. An overwhelming album scrutinising appalling loss, grief and coping through love, it was arguably the most personal album Cave had ever created at that pont. Andrew Dominik’s film, ‘One More Time With Feeling’ that came out to accompany the album,Continue reading “Skeleton Tree Is A Decade Old”
Album Review: Arab Strap- Half-Told Tales
This new album, the ninth from the inimitable Falkirk duo, sees Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton on fire. It’s not often that a band gets a new lease of life later into their career, but then, they’ve always been one to buck trends. Few speak to the creeping malaise as accurately as The Strap. FromContinue reading “Album Review: Arab Strap- Half-Told Tales”
