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”
Category Archives: Classic albums
Anatomy Of A Classic: Strawberry Switchblade
Everyone adored their hit single, ‘Since Yesterday’, but Strawberry Switchblade’s eponymous album had many more beautiful songs. In their aesthetic and musical DNA lies a plethora of influences. Sixties icons Brigitte Bardot and The Shangri-Las. Their look is the first obvious jumping -off point. There’s a strong goth look in the Siouxsie-esque make-up and corsets,Continue reading “Anatomy Of A Classic: Strawberry Switchblade”
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”
Five Perfect Pavement Songs
I woke up with Spit On A Stranger this morning as an earworm and it’s both caustic and beautiful, so here’s that very song along with four other beauties. Don’t say I’m not good to you.
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”
Kate Bush’s Influences
Pics of Kate Bush: John Carder Bush J W Waterhouse, ‘The Lady of Shallot’. Kate Bush was always upfront in her literary and artistic influences. She essayed The Brontes of course, but also Tennyson, Shakespeare and John William Waterhouse. Her Pre-Raphaelite aesthetic was unique in a time of punk, prog and so on, but theContinue reading “Kate Bush’s Influences”
Overlooked Classic: Lydia Lunch and Mars – The Drowning Of Lucy Hamilton
Noise music and no-wave are just two facets of Lydia Lunch’s oeuvre. This minimalist album from 1985 for the still controversial Richard Kern film ‘The Right Side Of My Brain’ has an uncanny calm, but is no less dark or disturbing for that. Small blood tricklings of piano ostinatos merge with tapering bass clarinet andContinue reading “Overlooked Classic: Lydia Lunch and Mars – The Drowning Of Lucy Hamilton”
Overlooked Classic : Bauhaus – The Sky’s Gone Out
There isn’t much in the way of the concept album in the goth genre- perhaps only The Cure’s ‘Pornography’ comes close- but Bauhaus ‘ brilliant, multi-faceted The Sky’s Gone Out is perhaps our equivalent of a post-punk Pink Floyd or something, just with better songs. Forgive me, PF fans, but I don’t like post-Syd FloydContinue reading “Overlooked Classic : Bauhaus – The Sky’s Gone Out”
Overlooked Classic: Von Sudenfed- Tromatic Reflexxions
Or rather, MES and Mouse On Mars’ gnarly side project. Mark E Smith never liked to be second -guessed, and he had of course worked with Coldcut, so his collab with electronic pioneers Jan St Werner and Andi Toma was another delightful surprise. Smith added his addled poetry to their thick, distorted beats and itContinue reading “Overlooked Classic: Von Sudenfed- Tromatic Reflexxions”
Overlooked Classic: Fantomas- The Director’s Cut
Imagine your favourite film scores, chopped up and put into a blender. That’s basically the ethos of the brilliant second Fantomas album The Director’s Cut from 2001. It’s a millennium mashup like no other. Essentially a bonkers supergroup, comprising Faith No More’s Mike Patton, Buzz Osbourne from The Melvins, Slayer’s Dave Lombardo and Trevor DunnContinue reading “Overlooked Classic: Fantomas- The Director’s Cut”
