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”
Category Archives: Music
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”
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”
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”
Lost In Music: JSBX- Talk About The Blues
It’s not every day that Hollywood royalty plays your band in a music video,but that’s exactly what happened for Jon Spencer Bues Explosion in 1998 when Evan Bernard directed this little film. Winona Ryder, Giovanni Ribisi and John C Reilly portray the power trio. ‘Talk About The Blues’ is lifted from the studio album,’Acme’. SpencerContinue reading “Lost In Music: JSBX- Talk About The Blues”
Favourite Cover Versions: Iggy Pop and Jarvis Cocker – Red Right Hand
Nick Cave has often said it’s not his favourite self-penned song, and I agree: it’s kinda hokum, with its Hammer Horror organ and slightly cheesy delivery. So, Iggy Pop and Jarvis Cocker (who better?!?!??) brought out this collaboration and I love it, it sounds dirtier and tougher than the original slightly coy version from NickContinue reading “Favourite Cover Versions: Iggy Pop and Jarvis Cocker – Red Right Hand”
Album Review: Small Pond- Emerging Vol 3
The small but mighty indie label Small Pond, based in Brighton, shows that alternative !music is very much thriving. This new compilation has a wide diversity of genres. There’s bright, anthemic indie pop from MaxwellTheBand with piledriving opener, ‘Bic Lighter’, Currls provide soulful /emo inspired indie with ‘April Fool’. Peach Season are another musical uContinue reading “Album Review: Small Pond- Emerging Vol 3”
Five Times Top Of The Pops Was Worth Watching
I’m positively fossil aged, but back in the day, we had these nebulous concepts called “the charts”. This was when record companies received notification of which musical artists were selling the most singles. The Top 40 was thus reflected on a terminally naff TV show on the BBC, usually with teenagers grinning dementedly, dancing inContinue reading “Five Times Top Of The Pops Was Worth Watching”
LCD Soundsystem Meets Leigh Bowery…
Times are hard right now. Weather’s horrible, war rages across the globe, civil rights are being eroded, climate change becomes increasingly apparent on a daily basis. Our leaders aren’t helping, putting profit before people. Democracy is important, but so too, is resistance to the forces of oppression. At times like this, it’s hard not toContinue reading “LCD Soundsystem Meets Leigh Bowery…”
Hit The North 