Bjork’s breakthrough band in the UK and USA (she’d made work with Kukl,Spit and Snot and various others) were a funny hybrid of indie and pop: sometimes,they were on the wrong side of wacky, a la The B52s around the time of Love Shack. Sometimes, as with the gloriously dark Mama, Cold Sweat or Sick ForContinue reading “Lost In Music: The Sugarcubes-Planet”
Category Archives: Lorna Irvine
Happy 2024!
Happy New year to you, wherever you are reading this. May this year bring peace,joy and fulfilment to all, however and whenever it occurs. Lorna x “How happy is the vestal’s lot! The world forgetting, by the world forgot, Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind! Each pray’r accepted, and each wish resign’d…” -Alexander Pope, ‘Eloisa toContinue reading “Happy 2024!”
And …Cut!
I kinda miss The Marx Brothers. Their beautifully crafted slapstick was matched only by the witty one-liners. Vaudeville performers who emerged during the Depression era in America, they epitomised freewheeling anarchy and sight gags like few others. Laurel and Hardy are great, but the Marx Bros kicked it up a notch. They each brought somethingContinue reading “And …Cut!”
The Future’s Here Today: Doom Scroller
Hiding in velveteen corners in smoke filled rooms you may find the enigmatic Doom Scroller. The Edinburgh based trio- comprised of singer and award- winning video artist Alex Auldsmith along with Scott Bathgate and Alex Palmer – make majestic, atmospheric electronic music designed to be heard undercover of darkness. It’s dark, seductive and intoxicating. The videoContinue reading “The Future’s Here Today: Doom Scroller”
Lost In Music: The Pogues- Red Roses For Me
What a fully-formed debut Red Roses For Me, released in 1984, was. Somehow producer Pete Brennan managed to distil the chaotic energy of The Pogues’ live gigs.It’s stunning. This, coupled with lead singer Shane MacGowan ‘s gimlet eyed poetry (Transmetropolitan, Dark Streets of London) meant they were forever torn between raucous piss- up and tearyContinue reading “Lost In Music: The Pogues- Red Roses For Me”
The Future’s Here Today: Erika Angell
Sometimes, a piece of music just stops you in your tracks and pins you to the spot. I was transfixed when MaryAnne Hobbs played this on her BBC6 Music show this morning. Majestic, burbling electronic music with icy, neo-Goth vocals, Erika Angell is worth investigating. Her music is as deep as a well. She’s aContinue reading “The Future’s Here Today: Erika Angell”
Lucifer Over Lanarkshire: Diane Morgan Is A Disgrace
I’m not asking for cancellation here, because, as I previously stated, I have a sense of ambivalence about banning artists, but there’s one actor who really winds me up: Diane Morgan. She’s a disgrace. For those of you unfamiliar with her work, Morgan is a comedy actor who is utterly typecast. Essentially, she plays stupid,Continue reading “Lucifer Over Lanarkshire: Diane Morgan Is A Disgrace”
Overlooked Classics: AC Marias -One Of Our Girls
Formed by Wire’s Bruce Gilbert and Graham Lewis, with film maker and singer Angela Conway, AC Marias made an album which pretty much seemed to disappear into the ether as soon as it had arrived. That’s probably as apt a metaphor as you could wish for, given the strange nature of this beautiful album. EvenContinue reading “Overlooked Classics: AC Marias -One Of Our Girls”
Is Cancel Culture Over?
Jonathan Richman arguably wrote one of the first songs about cancelling artists due to their dodgy tendencies. Titled ‘Pablo Picasso ‘, the chorus went, “Pablo Picasso was never called on asshole”. and was a pointed critique on his philandering. I wonder what he makes of Louis CK, Russell Brand and Lizzo. Nobody is infallible inContinue reading “Is Cancel Culture Over?”
Film Review: Love, Lizzo
Until the recent allegations against her, I had a lot of admiration for Lizzo. Born Melissa Jefferson in Detroit, she went from niche hip hop artist to global superstar in a decade: not bad for a big, Black woman who sings, raps, twerks and is a classically trained flautist with her own clothing brand andContinue reading “Film Review: Love, Lizzo”
Hit The North 